5 Shows To Binge When You Can’t Imagine How To Sleep

You’re in the early days of your fresh start and the idea of closing your eyes and you know- thinking thoughts, is way, way too horrifying (been there, sis). You need a companion- not a person, but a show. You need a show you can binge. Below find some of our favorite binging shows with a few rules: 

• The show has to offer more than 10 hours of binging 

• The show has to stay at a relatively consistent noise level - there is NOTHING worse than a loud TV sound waking you after you’ve somehow floated off to sleep for a few minutes

• The show has to be easy enough to follow for brains that are a bit addled and confused and completely over whelmed with all the machinations of your Fresh Start

Jane the Virgin - approximately 74 hours of binging (Netflix)

We’ll start off with a strong contender of a perfect show to binge when you are tired, emotional or ready to pay attention to a show every few minutes and then have to divide your attention between the show and your sweet babe: Jane the Virgin. Not only is it a sweet story about new motherhood- but it is funny, romantic, complex and a truly beautiful story about what family is and isn’t. And yes, it’s romantic— but so over the top romantic no one’s real life looks like that- both Olivia and I found it VERY soothing during our break ups. Better than all of that? It’s basically a soap opera and recaps itself CONSTANTLY. So if you were to, say, fall asleep during an episode and wake up during the next- you’ll be able to catch up quickly. And if you really can’t get back on track, no worries- the show charges through story lines quickly, just hold tight and whatever you're confused about will probably resolve itself and go away. 

Gilmore Girls- approximately 118 hours of binging  (Netflix)

If you’re out on the road, and you need a show to watch- this is your jam. Much like Jane the Virgin it explores the essential nature of families- but it is 90% all light and really fast conversation (and coffee! You will suddenly realize how much you relate to Lorelai in your shared love of coffee). Also even though there are over 100 hours of show to watch in a weird way nothing really happens on this show? Or things happen pretty slow? I mean to say if you doze off or go throw in a load of laundry while Lorelai is fast talking, when you rejoin the show she’ll probably still be fast talking. 

Selling Sunset - Approximately 12 hours of binging  (Netflix)

Selling Sunset is so light and airy and frothy and most definitely not “unscripted” that it is a plastic joy to watch. I can confidently say that if you fall asleep during this show you can catch up easily because I started watching at Season 3, had no problem following what was happening (thanks to recaps and reality TV tropes) and then went back to watch the other 2 seasons. The show will remind you that people live so very differently from you, like in real pants and high heels. There isn’t as much to stream, but you could probably watch the whole series 3 times over and notice something different every time (Christine’s outfits, Crishell’s micro-expressions)

Veep - Approximately 30 hours of binging (HBO/HBOMax)

Much like Gilmore Girls one of the highlights of Veep is the extremely fast talking. Here’s a fun thing the language on Veep is truly vitriolic, maybe you’ll come up with some good insults for the arguments you have with your ex in your head from it! I am so generally confused by world politics that when I’ve drifted off during this show and come back to watch it I am pretty much at stasis. We found shows about politics or the state of the world sometimes a bit tough to take during our sleep deprived emotional period, but Veep is so ridiculous about the way the world works, and the comedy is so spot on (Julia Louis Dreyfus is our QUEEN)- that is feels educational and entertaining and not at all traumatizing. 

Superstore -approximately 36 hours of binging (Hulu)

Superstore is such a comforting and wonderful 30 minute comedy that it almost redefines the genre. I love a sitcom that remembers it’s previous episodes and draws on them. Each and every character on the show is honest and weird and real and also really strange. People are nuanced and these characters are too. There are lots of over arching plot lines but none too complex to follow and each episode kind of wraps up whatever it was working on (true sitcom style). The show deals with real human issues all while being feel good- which is a tough balance to strike.