Want‌ ‌To‌ ‌Beat‌ ‌The‌ ‌Lockdown‌ ‌Blues‌ ‌In‌ ‌Bangalore?‌ ‌Watch‌ ‌These‌ ‌Binge-Worthy‌ ‌Shows‌

The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India is making itself felt a lot more harshly than the first. And as cases rise and vaccinations drive struggle to keep up, more and more states are resorting to partial lockdowns to protect their citizens. So, if you’re stuck in your boys hostel in Bangalore with nothing to take your mind off the scary statistics, we’ve got the perfect palate cleansers for you. Swap your news updates for a season or two of these binge-worthy shows that are taking the country by storm this summer.

His Dark Materials

If you’re a fan of fantasy with a side of multi-world theorising, this show is the one for you. Based on the trilogy by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials follows a young girl called Lyra who is trying to uncover the secrets of the religious and political government called the Magisterium. The subject of a prophecy that states she will change the world, Lyra embarks on a journey of epic proportions, travelling between worlds to find the truth.

With two seasons underway, this show is gearing up for its third and final season to be released later this year, making it perfect for you to binge on right now. And yes there’s a star-studded cast for you to look forward to, with Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson and Clarke Peters occupying some of the prime roles, and with recurring appearances from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Andrew Scott and (the voice of) Phoebe Waller-Bridge.  

Peaky Blinders

There are regular crime shows, and then there is the period crime drama masterpiece that is Peaky Blinders. Featuring an ensemble cast of Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Joe Cole and Paul Anderson, as well as regular appearances from Tom Hardy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sam Claflin and Adrien Brody, the show follows the fictional Shelby crime family in the aftermath of World War I.

The BAFTA Award-winning show looks at the actions and exploits of Tommy Shelby, the cunning and ambitious leader of the Peaky Blinders gang, as he tries to expand its hold over London despite opposition from the government and rival crime organisations.

This fast-paced show will transport you to England in 1919 and leave you at the edge of your seat after every episode. The 2013 show is five seasons underway, with a sixth currently in the making.

Shadow and Bone

Dear Game of Thrones fans, there’s a new craze on the horizon and it’s called Shadow and Bone. This fantasy show takes you to a country that’s been divided by a wall of darkness called the Fold.

Tasked with the power to create light and set her country free, Alina Starkov is the orphan mapmaker protagonist of the show. Played by an inimitable Jessie Mei Li, Alina joins an elite army to manipulate her magic in order to survive. This brand new show started streaming in April this year and its first season will leave you hungry for more.

Schitt’s Creek 

Sometimes only a good comedy can take your mind off everything that’s wrong with the world. And that’s exactly what Schitt’s Creek is. This brilliantly heartfelt Emmy Award-winning comedy follows the Rose family in a reversal of typical rags to riches story.

Forced out of their opulence into an obscure (and unfortunately named) town called Schitt’s Creek, the Roses struggle to rebuild their lives and discover themselves outside their wealth in a hilariously unusual and fresh story. The show just wrapped up its final season in 2020 which means you don’t need to go through the agonising wait for new episodes as you binge.

Dear White People

Even if you spent most of last year inside a unisex PG in Bangalore, you couldn’t have missed the news around the Black Lives Matters protests. And if you found yourself reading curated resources, empathising with experiences of discrimination, or just waiting for more representation of these issues in mainstream media, Dear White People is the answer to many of your questions.

This comedy-drama looks at the experiences of a group of students of colour as they navigate the supposedly post-racial world of white students in an elite college. In between its jokes and explorations of relationships, the show examines how unconscious biases and stereotypes affect Black people.

The series has three seasons already available to stream, with a fourth that’s going to be released later this year, making now a great time to binge your way through it.

Friends

Watch it as many times as you want. We bet you are never gonna get bored of this classic American series. If you haven’t watched Friends till now this is the perfect time you can join the list of its million fans worldwide.

So, there you have it! These binge-worthy TV shows can take your mind off the pandemic and give you a way to occupy yourself indoors. So, update your watchlist and check them out.

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