As a person who is happiest sitting in the spot of the couch so worn in that there’s a dent in the shape of his own butt and watching hours and hours of television while sustaining on nothing but microwaved popcorn and refuting the concept of “outside,” this is my favorite time of the year. It is the time of the year when television is good.
If you ever wondered why TV seems better at certain times than others in this age of streaming, where the broadcast model of Fall TV premieres doesn’t seem to matter as much, it’s because this is Emmy season. The cutoff for qualification is May 31, so there’s a rush to premiere shows in the spring so that they air in time to be eligible for awards.
That’s strategic on streamers’ and networks’ part, but fabulous for people like me who prefer pretending the rest of the world doesn’t exist while watching a movie star make their desperate plea for an Emmy Award in a TV show performance.
Because there’s so much happening, I thought it would be helpful to guide you through what are the best things that are airing right now, so that you can join me in my sofa-rot existence of doing nothing productive besides watching good things.
The Studio
This show is so freaking funny, and I also can’t believe it actually got made. Seth Rogen eviscerates Hollywood executives, to the point that industry insiders can pinpoint what people and which projects he is satirizing in the show. The brilliance of the show is that it so smartly and specifically skewers show business that even people unaware of the ins and outs of the industry catch on to what it’s mocking. It’s hilarious.
Dying for Sex
This is cheating a bit, since the show doesn’t come out until April 4. But I beg you to look out for it. It is so warm and emotional and sexy and hilarious. The logline will raise an eyebrow: Michelle Williams is diagnosed with terminal cancer, decides she wants to have an orgasm before she dies, and embarks on a series of wild sexcapades while the trauma of her illness complicates things in the background. I ugly cried and loudly laughed in every episode; Jenny Slate as the best friend and caretaker gives the acting performance of the year.
The Pitt
The Pitt is in the midst of a three-episode arc where the emergency room is treating the victims of a mass shooting. It is so frank and graphic in a way that is very unshowy, making the trauma and the tragedy resound even more painfully. The technical wizardry required to pull this off is astounding, but also so subtle—you’re so rapt in the adrenaline-pumping stakes and high emotion that you don’t realize just how impressive the filmmaking is.
Top Chef
I sing the praises of Top Chef so often that I feel like my dying words will be “pack your knives and go.” The show’s run is remarkable in that, unlike so many of its reality TV brethren, it has never relied on gimmicks or ostentatious twists to make noise and garner attention. It is the classiest reality show on TV, and that’s what makes it such a sumptuous pleasure to watch.
Adolescence
A friend told me recently they were putting off watching Adolescence because they didn’t want to be traumatized. The show is upsetting, but it’s not disturbing. It is ultimately about humanity, which is why the episodes are so devastating: You understand exactly why the characters are behaving and reacting in the ways that they are. This is probably the biggest Netflix show since Baby Reindeer, and you would be wise to watch.
Abbott Elementary
Network sitcoms that are consistently good often are underrated. For example, I’ve noticed recent threads on social media remarking about scenes on Modern Family that are top-tier comedy but didn’t happen until the end of its run; network sitcoms have to deliver the goods for years. That’s happening right now in a string of episodes on Abbott that are providing a huge showcase for my favorite actor on the show, Janelle James. You’d be wise to catch up.
Mid-Century Modern
Mid-Century Modern keeps being called “the gay Golden Girls,” which is a massive endorsement. It’s about three best friends who move in together in Palm Springs, with one of their mothers, and is from the creators of Will & Grace. It is as crowd-pleasing as you’d expect a multi-cam sitcom of this kind to be, but surprising in just how gay the plot lines and dialogue are. Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, and Linda Lavin, may she rest in peace, deliver ace comedy performances.
Paradise
All the episodes of Paradise are now available to stream. It’s an addicting show with huge twists pretty much every episode. But there’s one episode at the end of the season that fills out the backstory for Sterling K. Brown’s character that will wreck you. If you thought you cried hard watching him on This Is Us, you’re not ready for this.
Matlock
There is footage of Kathy Bates winning Best Actress for Matlock at the Critics Choice Awards and I am seen behind her jumping up and down and clapping like my own mother had just won a trophy. That is exactly how I feel about Matlock, my favorite network drama on TV right now.
