The current coronavirus pandemic has locked almost all of us into our homes for weeks or even months. While many continue to work and study, most of us still have more free time in our hands and nowhere to go. Some manage to get productive during the downtime, but I confess that I belong to the group that has mostly lounged on their sofa binge watching TV shows and movies. And I know I’m not the only one.

I asked the BTSB team what they have been binge watching these past few weeks and got an interesting variety of different shows. If you’re looking for something new to watch (or are just interested in knowing what goes on in our living rooms), check out these binge-worthy shows!

1. The Great British Bake Off

Elina: “During stressful times like these, I've found it important to do activities that are as far as possible from our current reality and basically work as anti-anxiety medicine. If you in any way like to spend time in the kitchen, what would be better to do in order to relax than trying your hand at new recipes? In addition to creating masterpieces of cakes myself, I've lately also binged cooking and baking shows such as The Great British Bake Off. These shows have a strongly soothing effect on most spectators, and you can get the best baking tips watching them, so I definitely recommend putting on a cooking show and enjoying some chill, stress-free foodie time!”

2. Castlevania

Annika: “As I am the self-appointed Major General of procrastination, I've spent my quarantine starting more shows than you can shake a stick at, but if I had to name one, I'd go with the Netflix original Castlevania. Something about a show brimming with gratuitous action scenes, witty banter and monster slaying just really gets to me. It also helps that the entire series is aesthetically stunning, from the character designs to the landscapes. Be warned, however, it is rated 18+, largely due to the sheer amount of gore, blood, guts and swears flying around, but personally I wouldn't call it too overwhelming. It's not a long watch either, only 22 episodes under half an hour long. So if monster-hunting, vampire-slaying and video games (did I mention it's based on the freaking video games? How cool is that?) are your thing, go for it.”

3. Hercule Poirot

Eve: “I used to not be a fan of detective/crime stories, as I was sensitive and easily lost my sleep over them. It seems that I have somewhat grown and hardened up as I have really enjoyed watching episodes of Hercule Poirot (starring David Suchet) during this corona spring. I love British period pieces to begin with, and the murder riddles makes this series riveting to watch. The right answer is never obvious but makes so much sense. I’ve been reading Suchet’s autobiography Poirot and Me to accompany the series and it has given a fascinating extra insight to the episodes.

To continue with my recent fascination with crime, I’ve also been binging on this Finnish true crime podcast Jäljillä lately. Each episode covers one murder or disappearance case, either solved or unsolved. It is endlessly interesting to delve deep into the backgrounds of the people involved in these crimes, the details of the crimes themselves (not the gory ones, the podcast doesn’t go deep into them) and the speculations of what might have really happened, if the case remains unsolved.”

4. Steven Universe

Hanna: “I’ve gone through different binge watching phases during this social distancing thing, but the current stage is re-watching old favourites. At the moment, I’m in the middle of watching Steven Universe for the fourth time. I don’t know what it is about cartoons – be they aimed at kids or adults – that appeals to me so much, but I just love them. Steven Universe is cute, funny and very touching. It also has awesome female characters and nice LGBT+ representation which makes it worth checking out even if you’re not usually into kids’ shows! The heartfelt story and the optimism of the protagonist can be very comforting in these stressful times. The soundtracks of the show and the movie also totally slap and I’ve taken to listening to the songs on my daily walks. It’s hard to be too stressed out when listening to silly little tunes like ‘Cookie Cat’ or absolute bangers like 'Stronger Than You’…”

5. The Real Housewives

Danielle: “Hey you over there! Are you by any chance looking for mind numbing reality TV that includes rich-people-drama, international travel, exotic pets, and exuberant jewelry? –Well it just so happens The Real Housewives of pretty much any city will check all these boxes and more. We’ve got Real Housewives in New York, New Jersey (and everything’s legal in Jersey), Atlanta, Orange County, Miami, Dallas –and let’s not forget the out of states House Wives such as the ladies from Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and more! Personally I suggest you start with The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and get to know people like Paris Hilton’s aunts, Lisa Vanderpump and her merry band of dogs, swans, and minions, and a whole lot more. But just so you know, once you get started, you just need to know what happens at that game night at Dana’s house. [GASP].

HAYU! Is a streaming service that specializes in reality television and has all the seasons of all The Real Housewives, so they have you set for a loooong quarantine. PS: if you have a C-more account, chances are your account details will include a free HAYU! trial!!!”

6. Prison Break

Leo: “I've been binge watching the show Prison Break as I hadn't watched it before. I must say that the plot is very inticing and at some points I find myself amazed at how empathic the show can turn us even though most characters are criminals. When I want to watch something with a quick ending, I resort to Spanish Cinema. Here are a couple of great movies: The Invisible Guest, El Autor and El Hoyo, all available on Netflix.”

7. British panel shows

Petteri: “I’ve always liked panel shows. Some of my most pleasant memories of childhood include watching Uutisvuoto with my family after sauna. Thus, during the pandemic, I’ve been binging on British panel/quiz shows; these are available on YouTube to a surprising extent. My favourites include QI, 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Would I lie to You?, all the Big Fat Quizzes, and, more recently, the esoteric Only Connect.

But if Stephen Fry and David Mitchell aren’t quite your ‘thing’, the American What’s My Line?, available on YouTube in its entirety, offers a unique look back at the simpler, and arguably classier times of the 50s and 60s. Every episode of the classic show also features fascinating celebrity guests ranging from the likes of Groucho Marx or Frank Sinatra to figures you wouldn’t expect to guest-star in a television series, such as Eleanor Roosevelt.”