Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
One of the many unfortunate by-products of the coronavirus crisis is the hours of confinement that effective social distancing demands, and since playing Twister is out of the question, one great way to occupy your time, keep your mind off the less-than-encouraging news and stay sane is a good TV binge or five.
To that end, Mediaite has put together our staffs picks for movie and TV marathons to pass time that you might otherwise have spent going out to restaurants, attending professional sporting events, or reading things that might actually be useful to your life. Hopefully, well also spare you the countless hours you were going to spend browsing Netflix adding things to your list that you never actually end up watching.
So take a seat 6 feet away from your family members, put your feet up on that case of Charmin you hoarded, and enjoy Mediaites Picks For What Movies and TV to Binge on During Coronavirus Lockdown. Remember, as always, to follow guidelines on avoiding public places and stay safe. Well get through this together.
Joe DePaolo
On the first night of my self-quarantine, I happened to watch two movies which were prison-themed. I wasnt consciously looking for prison movies, but in retrospect, it made sense that I picked those films, considering I was trapped in my home. So for my selections, I thought Id expand on the prison genre with one slight exception to give some love to a classic show about a rogue cop trying to put the bad guys behind bars, while trying to avoid being sent away himself.
The Hurricane As a part-time boxing writer on top of my duties here at Mediaite, Im always partial to any film which includes the sweet science. Denzel Washingtons Oscar-nominated performance as middleweight contender Rubin Hurricane Carter, who spent decades fighting for justice after being wrongly convicted of murder in the 1960s, is one for the ages.
The Shawshank Redemption This 1994 masterpiece is a new arrival on Netflix. Its one of the most rewatchable movies ever made. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman shine as two lifers in a New England correctional facility who try to break free from the physical and spiritual walls that confine them.
The Great Escape A dynamite cast sparkles in this 1963 epic about Allied POWs detained in a German prison camp. McQueen. Garner. Bronson. Attenborough. Coburn. Doesnt get much better than that.
The Longest Yard (1974 version) By nature, most prison films are about escape. This fun movie, though, is about a football game between the inmates and the guards. Burt Reynolds absolutely aces his role as an ex-NFL quarterback who leads his fellow convicts into gridiron battle.
The Shield When prestige television shows of this era are discussed, this classic is often omitted. But it might well be the greatest of them all. Every single hour of this show over the course of seven seasons is a thrill ride. Michael Chiklis is consistently mesmerizing as a dirty cop in Los Angeles who breaks all the rules. The very first episode will leave you speechless.
Tommy Christopher
The key to good coronavirus bingeing is a mix of cathartic terror, calming nostalgia, and unapologetic escapism, so my picks are
Contagion This propulsive plague thriller which first warned us to stop touching our faces so much will terrify you with echoes of our current situation, but leave you knowing that this too shall pass, and it coulda been a lot worse. Especially if your name is Gwyneth. Available on Vudu and Cinemax On Demand.
Outbreak If you like your pandemic realism mixed with improbable conspiracy plots, Dustin Hoffman and company have just the thing for you in this Ebola-adjacent thriller that stars a pre-scandal Kevin Spacey, a radiant Rene Russo, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. vomiting in a biohazard suit. Available on The Flix. Thats Netflix, for you olds.
The West Wing For a nostalgic look at a time when the worst thing a president did was come to a sudden arboreal stop, you cant beat Aaron Sorkins prequel to the Obama presidency. Available on Netflix.
Hunters This polarizing Amazon original series features Al Pacino as the head of an ass-kicking team of Nazi-hunting badasses during the late seventies. The quality of the writing suffers in the later episodes, but the early episodes are shot through with heartbreak that tempers the subversive humor and relentless action.
The Good Place This NBC comedy just entered its own afterlife with a sweetly funny series finale that matched the rest of its run. At just over 20 minutes per Hulu episode, TGP is an easy-to-eat binge that really is as good as people tell you it is.
Caleb Howe
Im usually more into movie marathons than TV show bingeing, but were all home together for the duration of this thing so compromises must be made. Thats how we get through global disasters after all: by agreeing to compromise on entertainment options.
In that spirit, my household has come up with a mixed marathon experience, spanning from the blockbusters of Vudu to the ancient wonders of Netflix. From the outer space of Prime to the inner space of Hulu.
Its important to remember that social media is going to be your social outlet as youre hunkered down indoors, so you want to be up on the buzzy shows. Thats why Masked Singer on Hulu and Picard on CBS All Access (and Amazon Prime) have to be top of list. Baby Yoda, you were here too soon and will return too late for Pandemic Theater. For now we have to get our space fix from the awesome return of Captain Picard and Seven, plus some other characters, as they pursue a slowly, slowly, unfolding plot. Naturally, Star Trek has been and always shall be your best choice for binge viewing, new or repeat. So dont shy away from The Next Generation (Netflix), Deep Space Nine (Netflix), Voyager (Netflix), Enterprise (Hulu), or Discovery (CBS All Access).
As for the Masked Singer: it featured Sarah Palin singing Baby Got Back while shaking her pink bear costume. Enough said. Be part of the group and just watch it already.
For movies, I always prefer horror. And what better time for a horror film than when youre already stressed to the hilt and worried about dying? Thats why my pandemic list includes Nicholas Cage in Richard Stanleys adaption of the H.P. Lovecraft tale The Color Out of Space, a movie that one critic described as paranoid, cruel, ludicrous and radiation-poisoned. Perfecto. Also on the horror list: The Carrier (free with ads on Vudu), every Purge movie (duh), 28 Days Later and Train to Busan for that zombie fix, 2008s Rhona Mitra joint Doomsday (the only best post-viral apocalypse movie to feature castles and sword fights), and of course (if youre picking up on a theme here), both poorly rated shaky camera view classic Quarantine, and Jay Roachs 2019 flick Bombshell.
Of course, there are still more pandemic hours to fill. Theres always the dozens of Law & Order iterations, which have a combined total of 93 million episodes. For some woke cops and firefighters fare, theres the two 9-1-1 series.
Now, some people are keen to do chores, house repairs, and other projects while stuck at home. But if youre more sane and lazy, you can just watch TV shows about other people doing those things. We like Chopped, the cooking competition, or Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which is a show about you crying at the end.
Look, youre going to be home for a couple of weeks. You might be working from home, but the TV is RIGHT THERE, so it might as well be on. And if you cant spend countless hours binge watching Star Trek or horror movies when youve got some coronavirus downtime, then honestly, what are we even fighting for?
Leia Idliby
You cant take yourself too seriously during self-isolation, so my Covid-19 binge-list is here to make you laugh.
Booksmart The perfect movie if youre missing your friends during self-isolation. Its hilarious, clever, and somehow, miraculously, manages to make you miss high school.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Science-fiction can be intimidating, especially during a global pandemic, but this comic-book movie is just so fun. A seriously impressive take on my favorite NYC hero (sorry, Batman). Not to mention, it has a killer cast.
Fleabag Starting to talk to yourself while in quarantine? This show makes that seem totally normal! But seriously, if you havent binged QUEEN Phoebe Waller-Bridges Fleabag yet, go do it now!
Insecure Issa Rae is a genius and her show has one of the best soundtracks ever, so its also perfect if youre trying to add to your coronavirus playlist!
Love is Blind If you rolled your eyes when you saw this on the list, I get it, but hear me out! It literally teaches you how to date with a wall between you and your partner something we might all have to do pretty soon. Plus, if youre anything like I am, you need something ridiculous to get your mind off the news, and I promise, there is nothing more ridiculous, and addictive, than Love is Blind.
Josh Feldman
As much as I personally enjoy really dark stories, I think right now we all just need to laugh. So with that in mind
Space Ghost Coast to Coast All of late night is off for the foreseeable future, so check out this ahead-of-its-time hilariously dumb animation/live action hybrid of a talk show. Where the cartoon superhero Space Ghost interviews real-life celebrities like Weird Al and Bobcat Goldthwait. Explaining any further would just ruin the fun.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Michael Caine and Steve Martin in a buddy comedy duo about two con men trying to outdo each other? Do I even need to say more?
Muppet Treasure Island Because everyone loves the Muppets. This ones a little darker than the other Muppet movies, but its still a classic with Muppet pirate action plus Tim Curry! (Though the Cabin Fever numbermay hit a little too close to home right now)
Clue In addition to featuring another great Tim Curry performance, its just a fun campy movie with a great cast bringing the iconic board game to the big screen.
Pretty much any Mel Brooks movie The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Spaceballs are obviously good picks, but The Twelve Chairs, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World Pt 1 you get the picture. Theres a reason Brooks is a comedy legend.
Adrian Carrasquillo
Im a peak TV guy. Any other time I would be very into an ensemble drama about a global pandemic that sends shudders up and down world governments. Now, not so much. Below are some shows Im watching or I think are perfect if, like me, youve watched a lot of the big HBO or Netflix tentpole shows everyone tells you to watch.
The Crown One of the popular shows a lot of folks have watched that I missed at the time and Im watching now. Its got Queen Elizabeth, soaring instrumentals, decadent decor, John Lithgow well-cast as a grumpy Winston Churchill, and teaches you a lot about a time period you may not be familiar with. Though, a plot early in the series featuring the government grinded to a halt as patients pile up in hospitals during a health crisis, hit a little close to home.
Little Drummer Girl One of my favorite series of the last decade, brings John le Carrs best-selling novel to life, and is the most memorable examination of terrorism (remember that?) Ive seen in TV or film. The twisting plot featuring an excellent Florence Pugh, Alexander Skarsgrd, and Michael Shannon is big on espionage, but my prevailing memory from the show is that it felt like art on the screen.
The Knick This Steven Soderbergh Cinemax series featured Clive Owens acting like an insane person in a hospital drama set in the early 1900s, but was very entertaining. The surgeries featured tons of blood and the show dreamed up unique scenes featuring cocaine your mileage may vary on each of those.
Peaky Blinders Just noticed this list has a British or early 1900s vibe, and Peaky Blinders is no exception. Cilian Murphy is great in it, as is Annabelle Wallis, and Tom Hardy and Aidan Gillen, who you may remember from blockbuster movies and shows. If you told me to watch a show about razor blade-wielding gangsters, I would probably want to pass, but was hooked by the creativity of the plotting a couple episodes in.
American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson To bring this list back to the States: Nothing is more American than the worldwide, sensational trial of O.J. Simpson. If you were a little young on the fateful summer day of the white Bronco chase in 1994 youll be enthralled as issues of race crackle and youre confronted by an America that hurts to look at, but feels all too familiar.
Zachary Petrizzo
A proper coronavirus quarantine is daunting. I know it well myself I spent 7 long days of isolation after CPAC.
I suggest gorging yourself on ABCs Shark Tank featuring the always brash Kevin OLeary, and QVC mogul Lori Greiner, a figure who has been a frequent coronavirus cable news guest, Mark Cuban, among others.
And of course, as a dutiful media reporter, I watch Sean Hannitys Fox News show at 9 p.m. EST to stay informed on all things Covid-19 and the deep state.
Sarah Rumpf
Personally, Im a fan of escapist entertainment Ive devoured everything Pixar and Marvel have produced in recent years but I still want the storylines to have a point, to care about the characters and their development, etc.
Doctor Who Ive successfully converted several friends into Whovians and if you like sci fi, history, or British humor, you should give this show a chance. Plus, there is a seemingly endless amount of content available from the shows nearly 60 year history, including television and radio episodes and a few movies.
The 2005 reboot of the BBC classic brought with it increased special effects budgets and some serious acting talent. If youre not familiar with the show, the premise is that The Doctor is an alien who looks human and travels through space and time with human friends, and can regenerate into a new person instead of dying. The episodes include both sci fi episodes where they visit strange planets and those where they travel back in time and encounter important figures in human history. If you want a sample before diving right into episode 1, Blink (series 3, episode 10) and Vincent and the Doctor (series 5, episode 10) are stand-alone episodes and fan favorites.
If I cant talk you into Doctor Who, then I recommend the following, all available on Netflix:
The Good Place Its a unique mix of moving character drama and absurd escapist humor, sharp pop culture commentary, and the core six characters develop over the four seasons into an excellent ensemble cast. The show also manages to tackle deep, fundamental questions about morality and what it means to be human. Highly entertaining with an uplifting message about the power of being kind to each other very timely right now!
The IT Crowd Anyone whos ever worked in an office (especially in an IT department) will sympathize with the characters plights and if youre a fan of The Office, this may be a good option instead of binging that series for the 37th time.
Halt and Catch Fire Compelling storyline about modern technology and how it changes peoples lives, starting in the early 1980s and spanning to the early dawn of the internet age.
Great British Baking Show The contestants make some truly amazing confections and breads, and the British hosts are sharp and witty. If you like baking at home, youll get some great inspiration for your own recipes, and for everyone else, its fun to watch someone try to make an Eiffel Tower out of cookies and honestly a bit of schadenfreude if that cookie tower crashes to the ground.
Charlie Nash
To match the conflicting messages and feelings during this coronavirus crisis, I have curated a selection of apocalyptic material with elements of romance. Also, some flicks to STAY CALM to.
Lars Von Triers Melancholia A pretentious arthouse movie about a newly-discovered planet smashing into the Earth, and the existential horror of three adults and a child who struggle to come to grips with the fact that theres nowhere to hide! Skip to the last 30 minutes when the action starts, the rest is boring.
The Day After Tomorrow Another movie about the end of the world. Tokyo gets pelted by a freak hail storm, Los Angeles gets destroyed by tornadoes, New York City is flushed away by a mega tsunami (and then frozen).
Doomsday Preppers Spend hours binge-watching this television show about intensely dedicated preppers who would have all their stuff stolen at gunpoint as soon as SHTF.
Riverdale A camp teen drama based on the Archie comics. If murder mysteries, romantic backstabbing, a hooded serial killer, and the Gargoyle King dont take your mind off an uncertain pandemic, nothing will!
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 One of the best in the saga: an epic battle with a series of tear-jerking moments, including (but not limited to) Bella and Edwards wedding dance to the same song they danced to at prom in the first movie and the beautiful montage at the end. Still quality nearly ten years later.
Aidan McLaughlin
Im in the middle of an absolutely obsessive, months-long Philip Seymour Hoffman binge. The Master, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Almost Famous, Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights, Capote, Charlie Wilsons War and, of course, Along Came Polly. He doesnt miss!
I also just finished watching The Night Of, from HBO. Its one harrowing, electrifying season of television.
Have a tip we should know? [emailprotected]
Read this article:
Mediaites Picks For What TV and Movies to Binge on During Coronavirus Lockdown - Mediaite
- 25 Best Horror Movies Set In The Woods - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- The 20 best horror movies on Hulu (March 2024) - Entertainment Weekly News - March 24th, 2024
- The best zombie movies, ranked - can you survive the zombie apocalypse? - The Manual - February 11th, 2024
- The Best Zombie Movies and Shows on Netflix The Best Zombie Movies and Shows on Netflix - Paste Magazine - February 11th, 2024
- Peacock Now Streaming One of the Best Zombie Movies Ever - ComicBook.com - January 18th, 2024
- Top 7 Best Zombie Movies To Binge Watch On OTT! - HerZindagi - January 18th, 2024
- The 20 Best Movies on Freevee (January 2024) - Paste Magazine - January 9th, 2024
- 13 Bloodiest & Goriest Horror Movies of All Time The Crypt - crypt.creepycatalog.com - January 9th, 2024
- Brave Citizen and other Korean movies and shows Cha Chung-hwa has acted in - Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur - November 25th, 2023
- Top Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com - January 25th, 2023
- Top Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster - January 17th, 2023
- Top - Wikipedia - January 17th, 2023
- top - Wiktionary - January 17th, 2023
- Top best and worst, top in uk, top in US, top in the world - KnowInsiders - January 17th, 2023
- [Top 15] 7 Days to Die Best Seeds (Alpha 19) | GAMERS DECIDE - November 19th, 2022
- [Top 10] 7 Days To Die Best Base Designs | GAMERS DECIDE - October 19th, 2022
- 'Terrifier 2' has people passing out and it's playing in NJ - New Jersey 101.5 FM - October 19th, 2022
- 10 Best Horror Films of the 1970s - High on Films - October 19th, 2022
- Look at the detail! Pics from The Amazing Pumpkin Carve 2022 in Titusville, NJ - New Jersey 101.5 FM - October 19th, 2022
- You Won't Find "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" on TV This Year: Here's How to Watch - wcrz.com - October 19th, 2022
- 10 'Scooby-Doo!' Episodes and Movies That Are Perfect for Halloween! - Bloody Disgusting - October 11th, 2022
- Box Set Review: The Incredibly Strange Films of Ray Dennis Steckler (1962 - 1986) - HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best... - October 11th, 2022
- 35 Best Entrance Themes In Wrestling History Ranked - Wrestling Inc. - October 11th, 2022
- South Korean Movies That Have Left Global Audience Asking For More - Outlook India - September 16th, 2022
- Rob Zombie - IMDb - August 31st, 2022
- Sci-Fi Movies That Made The Cast Do Gross Things - /Film - August 31st, 2022
- Top Ten Most Beautiful Blond Models - ReelRundown - August 31st, 2022
- The Keymaster And The Gatekeeper 105.7 The Point - 105.7 The Point - August 31st, 2022
- Carter and the best Asian martial arts movies on the Internet right now - Entertainment News , Firstpost - Firstpost - August 22nd, 2022
- [Top 25] Best Zombie Games for PC | GAMERS DECIDE - August 14th, 2022
- [Top 5] Minecraft Zombie Apocalypse Mods That Are Awesome - August 14th, 2022
- New Netflix Zombie Movie Debuts on Top 10 List - Horror - August 14th, 2022
- Ten Different Ways to Start a Zombie Apocalypse Story or Novel - August 14th, 2022
- 'The Gray Man' Has Massive Debut on Netflix - ScreenCrush - July 28th, 2022
- 50 Most Memorable Danny Glover Movies Ranked Worst To Best - Looper - June 14th, 2022
- 5 best movies and shows on Prime Video this weekend: The Boys - Amazon Adviser - June 5th, 2022
- Poll: What's the Best Korn Album? - Vote Now - Loudwire - June 5th, 2022
- Stories of the subcontinent: Films from India, Pakistan, Nepal illuminate 75th anniversary line-up of Cannes Film Festival - The Financial Express - May 17th, 2022
- Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn Has Officially Exited The Oppenheim Group, But Is That A Good Thing? - msnNOW - May 4th, 2022
- Ten Movies That Were Saved by Their Ending - 25YearsLaterSite.com - April 8th, 2022
- Top 10 movies from 2021 that take your breath away! - Financial World - April 8th, 2022
- 15 Years Ago: The Failure of 'Grindhouse' Heralds a New Era - Ultimate Classic Rock - April 8th, 2022
- Lzzy Hale + Katie Daryl Return for New Seasons of AXS' 'A Year in Music' + 'Top Ten Revealed' - Loudwire - April 8th, 2022
- Crack At it Again - Brewster Suspect Arrested in Danbury, Again - i95rock.com - April 8th, 2022
- Top 5 Zombie Base Building Games (Build, Defend, Survive ... - March 27th, 2022
- Top 10 Reasons the Zombie Apocalypse Could Really Happen ... - March 27th, 2022
- HORROR TEN SPOT: Top 10 Asses - March 27th, 2022
- 60 Best Zombie Movies of All Time | Stacker - March 27th, 2022
- All time best end-of-the-world movies to watch in 2022 - Digital Boom - January 23rd, 2022
- 2022s big TV and movie anniversaries - Polygon - January 9th, 2022
- The George Romero-Helmed Stephen King Adaptation We'll Never Get To See - /Film - December 14th, 2021
- The 15 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of 2021 Ranked - /Film - December 14th, 2021
- Google Has Revealed All the Movies and TV Shows We've Been Searching for in 2021 - Concrete Playground - December 14th, 2021
- How Shaun of the Dead Got a Boost From Hollywood and Comic-Con Geeks - Gizmodo - November 29th, 2021
- A Kickass Zombie Movie Is Back From The Dead To Terrorize Netflix - We Got This Covered - November 13th, 2021
- Fans Go Wild As Shang-Chi Arrives On Disney Plus - We Got This Covered - November 13th, 2021
- Day of the Dead interview with star Christopher Russell - 1428 Elm - October 20th, 2021
- Best Zombie Movies Streaming on Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime - IndieWire - September 5th, 2021
- James Gunn and Craig Mazin made The Boys six years before the comic - The Digital Fix - August 10th, 2021
- Michigan Congressmen and Women Can Work Together, Some Times - wbckfm.com - wbckfm.com - July 11th, 2021
- Netflix's 'Resident Evil' Anime Shows Off Exactly Why People Love the Franchise - Thrillist - July 11th, 2021
- The best TV series to watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Now, BritBox and more this July 2021 - iNews - July 11th, 2021
- No Hands Clapping - by Jonah Goldberg - The Remnant - The Dispatch - July 11th, 2021
- 50 Best Zombie Movies of the 21st Century - Cultured Vultures - July 1st, 2021
- Fewer in NJ getting COVID, and most are unvaccinated, Murphy says - New Jersey 101.5 FM - July 1st, 2021
- In Between The Poop And The Pope 105.7 The Point - 105.7 The Point - July 1st, 2021
- How many Halloween movies are there ? The complete Michael Myers timeline to watch before Halloween Kills arrived - Sportskeeda - July 1st, 2021
- Lucifer And Army Of The Dead Top Nielsens As Cruella Debuts On Disney+ - Forbes - July 1st, 2021
- What to watch on Netflix Top 10: Most popular shows May 28 - Tom's Guide - June 1st, 2021
- Box Office is Back Thanks to A Quiet Place Part II and World War Z - Film School Rejects - June 1st, 2021
- Army of the Dead Is One of Netflix's Biggest Hits with 72 Million Account Views and Counting - MovieWeb - June 1st, 2021
- New from Netflix in June: series, films and documentaries Explica .co - Explica - June 1st, 2021
- 10 greatest movie trilogies of all time - The Independent - May 21st, 2021
- Army Of The Dead (2021) - Rotten Tomatoes - May 21st, 2021
- The 10 Best Alien Invasion Movies - Cinelinx - May 8th, 2021
- 40 Years Ago: 'Friday the 13th Part 2' Makes Jason a Killer - Ultimate Classic Rock - May 8th, 2021
- Underappreciated Gems The Top 10 Most Underrated Movies of the Past 5 Years - Hollywood Insider - April 23rd, 2021
- If Browns Take a Wide Receiver in Round 1... - Yardbarker - April 23rd, 2021
- Former Bengals Great Gives His Thoughts on Penei Sewell and Ja'Marr Chase Debate - Yardbarker - April 23rd, 2021
- Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson are showing us why early-season stats can be meaningless - Yardbarker - April 23rd, 2021
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero