[imagesource: HBO]

There’s nothing wrong with rewatching your favourite series from time to time.

I’ve rewatched the likes of The Office (the OG British one, thank you) and BoJack Horseman multiple times, for example.

But we live in a new golden age of entertainment, we’re told – despite shows like Sexy Beasts – and there’s plenty of new content out there worth at least a glance.

Get 10 minutes into the first episode, quit, be told by somebody that “you have to watch at least five episodes to enjoy it”, return, and hey, now you’re a fan.

Paste regularly does ranking articles, like last week’s Stephen King adaptations, and this time they’re locking in the “best TV shows on right now”.

That list has 10 shows, not all of which are new but are rather available on streaming services at present, and steers clear of the ones you’ve obviously heard of. We’ll pick four, starting with We Own This City:

Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by former Baltimore Sun crime reporter Justin Fenton, We Own This City showcases not only the corruption within a unit of the Baltimore Police Department but the tireless work of the FBI agents who broke the real life scandal in 2017, and the Department of Justice lawyer that tries to repair one of the most corrupt law enforcement agencies in the country.

Here’s why you should care – it’s created by David Simon, the same guy who created and wrote The Wire.

I don’t think I need to say much more so let’s ogle a trailer:

It airs on HBO Max.

Conversations with Friends:

[Frances is] a poet who performs spoken word alongside her boisterous best friend and ex-girlfriend Bobbi (Sasha Lane), but despite her pointed written work, she has trouble expressing herself in actual conversation. After the pair meet buzzy 30-something writer Melissa (cast perfectly as Girls alum Jemima Kirke), they quickly strike up a friendship with her and her hunky C-list actor husband, Nick (Joe Alwyn). When Frances and Nick fall headfirst into a world-rocking affair, they find themselves swallowed by youthful impulse (Frances) and the further breakdown of domestic harmony (Nick).

The Hulu show has the added bonus of Irish accents, which is understandable because it’s based on Irish author Sally Rooney’s debut novel.

Also on Hulu, you’ll find Under the Banner of Heaven:

It’s based on a true-crime novel of the same name and deals with the infamous 1984 Lafferty murders:

…in which a young mother and her baby were brutally murdered by her Mormon fundamentalist brothers-in-law.

…while the show is unflinching in its honesty about the dangers of religious fanaticism and the horrors of violence done in (any) God’s name, it’s also a thoughtful look at what it means to believe in something enough to trust that it can not only withstand scrutiny, but that such questioning ultimately makes one’s faith stronger in the end.

Andrew Garfield puts in a stellar performance as the leading man.

Before we get to the show ranked number one on Paste’s list, I should mention Hacks. Yes, it might take you two episodes to get into it, but that’s television.

This brings us to the top dog, Barry. Now in its third season, it cleaned up at the 2019 Emmys and may well do again next year:

It is exceptionally rewarding to see a show that goes all-in for half an hour in a way that mixes action, emotional resonance, horror, and humor in such a satisfying way. Which is, of course, what Barry has been doing all along…

In addition to second rounds, Barry Season 3 is all about second chances. There are various seeds of revenge being planted, but also the powerful idea that forgiveness must be earned.

Bill Hader plays a hitman who moves to Los Angeles and gets caught up in the city’s theatre arts scene.

There’s also the added bonus of seeing Henry Winkler, AKA the Fonz, crushing it as acting coach Gene Cousineau.

At the very least, the above gives you a break from relentlessly watching true-crime series on Netflix. If I’m ever a suspect in a murder case, my viewing history may well count against me.

[source:paste]