Ready, set, binge.

Batten down the hatches, stock the fridge, compose the ‘I came down with the flu and won’t be able to make it’ messages – you have some series to watch.

We have covered a few of these in previous posts, but for the sake of helping y’all out we’ll run through the top five list via Quartz.

In fifth place – drum roll please – GLOW:

It seems like every summer Netflix releases an unexpected gem that quickly vaults to the top of the cultural conversation. This summer it’s been GLOW, the dramedy about the 1980s female wrestling show, the “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.” GLOW starts off as a slapstick comedy, but by the end of the first episode it’s clear that the show is really a lot more, unafraid to explore intense dramatic subjects.

The Handmaid’s Tale

Elisabeth Moss is terrific as a woman forced into sexual servitude in a totalitarian near-future United States. Based on the book of the same name by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is tough but necessary viewing, as captivating as it is chilling.

Big Little Lies

With a lineup of actresses that includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Laura Dern, Big Little Lies had to be good, and it was. Fans are begging for another season of the HBO miniseries, even though things were wrapped up pretty neatly by the end of its seven-episode run. All of those involved (especially Kidman) are uniformly excellent, playing mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons in an upscale, oceanside California town whose secrets run deep.

That one above gets the 2OV office stamp of approval, and is tailor-made for a solid two day binge. Do it.

Master of None

All you need to know about Master of None is that, for an entire episode in its ambitious second season, the show ignores its main characters and instead follows the lives of random New York City citizens. It was one of the best episodes of TV I’ve seen this year, and it barely featured any of the cast that made the rest of the season so enjoyable. Each installment of Aziz Ansari’s semi-autobiographical comedy is unlike the others.

Master of None is my personal favourite from this list, and the second season is pure brilliance.

The Leftovers

The Leftovers is the best show of the year, possibly of the last several years. About the aftermath of a Rapture-like event, the HBO drama is a scintillating work of art, plumbing the depths of grief and loss with unrivaled grace and imagination.

Just missing out, but also worth a watch, is Catastrophe. There’s a good chance you’ll actually laugh out loud, so watch the trailer for season one and see if it hits the spot:

Happy watching.

Also, if you like The Big Bang Theory please feel free to ignore all that advice above and think hard about what you’re doing with your life.

[source:quartz]