One thing that has helped keep us sane is watching TV.

Gone are the days of watching an episode and then waiting a week for the next one, now we like to binge watch a whole series (or two, or three), before moving on to the next one.

My last what we are watching update was back in June and it is safe to say that we have watched some good, and bad series since then.

BBC iPlayer

Serpent

The story of how the conman and murderer Charles Sobhraj, played by Tahar Rahim, was eventually caught and imprisoned. Posing as a gem dealer, Sobhraj and his girlfriend Marie-Andrée Leclerc, played by Jenna Coleman, traversed Asia in 1975 and 1976, committing a spree of crimes along the ‘Hippie Trail’. Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg investigates the disappearance of a young couple and soon catches up with Interpol’s most wanted man.

The first two episodes are hard work, as the story jumps all over the place, but it is well worth sticking with.

ITV

Marcella

Anna Friel stars in the lead role of Marcella Backland, a British police detective working in contemporary London. Set in Rosenfeldt’s unique style of Nordic Noir. A complex set of characters from all walks of life and interweaving storylines will take viewers on a dark and emotional journey with turns at every corner.

We are a bit late to the party with Marcella, but have binge watched series one and are halfway throw the second one, with the third to go.

The Bay

We enjoyed the last series back in 2019, and its back.

Morven Christie stars as DS Lisa Armstrong in Morecambe-based crime drama `The Bay’. When DS Armstrong is drawn into the search for teenage twins who have gone missing in the coastal town, she is perturbed to realise that she has a personal connection to the case. She is assigned as the Family Liaison Officer, and must deal with the frantic family and manage the police investigation without getting emotionally involved or revealing her own connection to the case. As she seeks justice for the family, DS Armstrong comes to an unsettling conclusion.

Netflix

Firefly Lane

Tully and Kate meet as young girls on Firefly Lane and become inseparable friends throughout 30 years of ups and downs.

With Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke, we really enjoyed watching their relationship grow and develop from childhood in adulthood.

Virgin River

Seeking a fresh start, a nurse practitioner moves from Los Angeles to a remote Northern California town and is surprised by what — and who — she finds.

I will admit this is a romance drama, but my husband enjoyed it too and the scenery is just spectacular.

Bridgerton

During the Regency era in England, eight close-knit siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family attempt to find love.

You have got to have been living under a rock if you haven’t heard of Bridgerton, but we loved it and cannot wait for the next series. We have the soundtrack on daily – think modern pop songs done with an orchestra.

How to get away with Murder

Annalise Keating, a criminal defence lawyer and professor, teaches a group of aspiring law students. However, their lives alter when they get entangled in an aberrant murder.

We binge watched the first three series without stopping, although are taking a break now as it is nice to watch other genres. We will be picking this back up very shortly.

Snowpiercer

Set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, this series centres on the remaining people, who inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe.

Mr Wilford’s logo looks very much like the WordPress logo, don’t you think?

Channel 5

The Drowning

Jodie is a woman whose life was shattered by the disappearance of her four-year-old son. When she catches sight of Daniel, a teenage boy, she is convinced she has finally found her missing son.

With Jill Halfpenny, we were really drawn into this story and found it to be a real emotional rollercoaster.

Channel 5

The Great

A genre-bending, anti-historical ride through 18th-century Russia following the wildly comedic rise of Catherine the Nothing to Catherine the Great.

I dare you not to be saying “Huzzah” constantly after watching it!

https://youtu.be/hJGedvRfHYg

Apple TV

Servant

A Philadelphia couple is in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home.

I am not going to lie, it is a bit weird but strangely compelling. My husband likens it to a cross between a thriller and a cookery show. We binge watched the first series, and are now waiting patiently for the next episode in the 2nd series.

Disney +

Wandavision

Living idealised suburban lives, super-powered beings Wanda and Vision begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

Like Serpent, this series does need persevering with for the first couple of episodes, but it is well worth sticking with.

Do you have any recommendations?