Category Archives: BingeworthyTV

BingeworthyTV, Books, Cooking, Lifestyle, Music, Reading, Summer

Summertime Binge-Watching, Reading, and Eating

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How is your summer going so far, my friends? Are you staying busy? Hopefully not too busy. We all know that’s no fun.

Life is going at a bit of a more leisurely pace at this point in the Summer of 2026. I’m enjoying our lifestyle here in Minnesconsin with only myself, Mr. NOA and our two silly dogs to care for. There’s no big plans for any travel for the forseeable future for us. To my surprise, I’m okay with that. We are getting cracking on the multitude of small (and large) home improvement projects on the master list created at the beginning of the season though, which I’m really happy about.

From replacing flooring (our entryway no longer has green carpet, thanks to Mr. NOA!), to a bathroom remodel, to switching out light fixtures, we certainly have our work cut out for us. We have decided to do it all piece-meal, doing the work ourselves as much as we can and as our finances allow. Our objective is to just keep moving forward and always have a project we are working on around here.

Of course not all my down-time is dedicated to DIY home improvement projects. I mean, maybe it should be? Yet there are other activities lately, like binge-watching, reading, and eating, that I’m quite enjoying these days.

What I’m binge-watching:

At night, I often relax by lounging on my couch, preferably with a dog or two next to me, and binge-watching (often limited) series on one of my streaming apps. I like that I can choose how many episodes I want to watch. Unlike a 2 hour movie, which I don’t like pausing to finish another day.

Of course, there’s the danger of getting so engrossed in the story that I’m watching, that I’ll blow far past my bedtime and regret it the next day. Restraint is key.

The most recent binge-watch for me is “5 Star Weekend” on Peacock. It was unexpected. I came into it thinking it would be mindless, fluffy, and all “girls just want to have fun”. Instead, I was treated to a realistic portrait of a group of female friends. The actors in this series captured the awkwardness of meeting a friend’s friend for the first time as an adult. It also got me thinking of the different sorts of friends we make as women throughout our lives, from those who we befriended as girls to those we collect along the way. I never thought I’d hear Jennifer Garner say the “f bomb” though. However, as an appreciator of salty language, I found it refreshing. I’d say if you liked “Wine Country” (on Netflix), starring one of my favorite comic female actors, Amy Poehler, you will enjoy this one.

What I’m Reading:

American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins. Got it from my local library. It’d been a minute since I’d been there. It is a very harrowing tale of a mother and her 8 year-old son’s trek to the U.S. to escape horrific violence in Acapulco. Jumping onto the top of trains, always keeping an eye out for those who may mean them harm. It’s about motherhood and womanhood, and fear, and class. It’s engrossing and heartbreaking, and it’s a book that I know I will never forget. If we could get everyone to read this book, I suspect that my fellow Americans’ attitudes towards the plight of immigrants would change.

What I’m eating:

I love the simplicity of cooking in the summer. Oftentimes, it’s not even so much cooking as it is throwing things together. Like the other night, when I made a charcuterie board for Mr. NOA and I to graze on in place of a “real” supper. Those little tomatoes, fresh and at the peak of ripeness, that we grow in these big planters outside in the doggie’s “playpen” (the fence we put up earlier this summer). It’s such a little treat to slice those up and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on them to accompany our unfussy summer suppers. Adding sliced cucumbers purchased from the Farmer’s Market and some lovely sliced sourdough with italian seasonings, and it’s *chef’s kiss* to me. A couple of weeks ago, I clipped off the leaves from our basil plant and made a delectable little pesto, which was phenomenal on toasted sliced French bread with thinly sliced tomatoes and a sprinkling of Italian cheese blend. I’m hoping to do that again before the summer ends.

So, friends, tell me, what is it that you are binge-watching, reading, and eating during these “dog days” of summer?

Let me leave you with a song that I love very much. It popped into my head last night, as Mr. NOA were out in the yard and I noticed a pair of honeybees enjoying the goldenrod in one of ou

BingeworthyTV, Entertainment, Humor, Moods, Positivity

Finding Joy in the Tube

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When things feel dreary, happy little distractions can help.

Whether the dreariness you feel is a result of the current American political landscape, the now leaf-less trees under a gray November sky, or the dread of the upcoming holidays, unwinding in front of the tube can be a temporary balm for what ails you.

Wouldn’t you agree?

Allow me, a person with a pretty eclectic taste when it comes to at-home viewing options, provide you all with my best recommendations.

These are the t.v. shows and movies that have recently captured my funny bone, taken me on adventures, and/or given me the warm fuzzies. Also known as “feel-good” viewing.

  • Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. Zoey is a super-smart twenty-something who works as a coder at a Google-type company. Her Dad is dying and she, along with her Mom, brother, and his wife are coping with all the big feelings they have about it. Zoey has an MRI (don’t worry she’s fine), after which she has the ability to deeply feel how others are feeling and thinking via song-and-dance numbers performed only for her by others in her life. There’s so many sweet romantic moments and lots of surprises (who knew Mary Steenburgen and Lauren Graham could sing?). If you are a fan of Rachel Bloom’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” you will enjoy this too (and bonus! Greg from that show is on this one!) This show is an absolute delight. You can stream it on Peacock or on NBC.com
  • The Voice. It’s good fun in my book. I appreciate that, unlike American Idol back in the day, it doesn’t include snarky judges and a spate of horrible singers being publicly humiliated. I think it’s especially fun to see the contestants take on a wide variety of songs and add their own flair to them. The camaraderie amongst judges Michael Buble, Gwen Stefani, Reba McIntire, and Snoop Dog is super cheesy, light-hearted fun.
  • Unsellable Houses and HomeTown on HGTV. These are the shows I watch when I can’t make up my mind and I just want to decompress. Unsellable Houses features twins Lindsay and Leslie who live in the Pacific Northwest, who fix up homes with a team of carpenters, artists, and other professionals, so that the sellers can get the most bang for their bucks. It’s amazing to see the transformations. HomeTown is similar to that, though it features the husband and wife team of Erin and Ben, who fix up houses in their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi for buyers. Erin is an artist and I almost always love whatever she comes up with (custom wallpaper and original wall art, oh my!) Ben is a master craftsman and seeing the pieces of furniture he can create in his massive workshop is fascinating.
  • Quiz Lady on Hulu. This is a movie starring Sandra Oh and Awkafina, who play odd-couple sisters who work together (after quite the struggle) to get Awkafina’s character on a game show so she can win money to pay off their mom’s gambling debts. It’s absolutely hilarious and quite heart-warming.

What are your “feel-good” viewing recommendations? Please share in the comments!

Lest I forget, today’s song choice:

BingeworthyTV, Entertainment, Leisure Time, Relaxation, Television

That One Show

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Isn’t it amazing, when you stop and think about it (I’m talking to you, fellow AARPr’s) that in our lifetime we have gone from having at most 4 channels on our televisions to having 4 million (give or take) channels?

And to top it off, now we have the control.

We no longer have to catch our favorite shows when they air. We can DVR the shows we want to see. Watch them at our leisure.

We can also pause whatever we are watching at will.

I don’t know about you, but my leisure time is limited. I accept that. It’s far more beneficial for me, anyway, to focus on doing things and learning things than it is to lounge on the couch in front of the boob tube. Like reading and writing. Baking in my kitchen and playing with Radar. Hanging out with Hubs, listening to music and talking or texting with my kids.

Yet, lounging on the couch watching t.v. deserves to have it’s place too. It’s a great distraction. A way to decompress.

This is why I’m far more intentional about what t.v. programming I consume these days. Not that I don’t have an ongoing list in my head of all the shows and movies I want to see when (if) time allows.

Allow me for a hot second to go down that rabbit hole (please know, patient readers, that the below will be highly edited):

  • Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
  • Hacks
  • The entirety of How I met Your Mother
  • The Great British Baking Show
  • Hamilton
  • Only Murders in the Building
  • One Night with Adele

There’s one show in particular that I make sure to catch every week, however. Though I DVR it when each new season starts, just in case-I typically end up watching it when it first airs, commercials and all.

Tell me, do you also have that one show?

Mine is Grey’s Anatomy. I am a faithful devotee to this show. I have watched it from the first season, when the main characters were Izzie, Cristina, Alex, George, and, of course, Meredith.

Grey's Anatmony - Top 5 tV shows

This show has held my interest over all these years. Through the drama that was Christina and Owen’s relationship. Through the plane crash that took the lives of Mark and Lexie, which broke my heart. Through the shocking and tragic death of McDreamy and the trials and tribulations of Jo. Through the mental health struggles Bailey and Andrew went through and those short lived, fun romances between Meredith and Andrew, Teddy and Koracic, and April and Jackson (I was so pleased when they got together in the end).

However, I’m mostly there for Meredith. There’s something soothing about her voice, at the beginning of each show. It sets the tone for the episode. It’s comforting. She’s a character that has stood the test of time. She’s the anchor. The one I most root for.

I think it was a smart move, that at the beginning of the current season, creator Shonda Rhimes made sure it was clearly stated that while IRL, Covid was still ravaging our country and world, it was not going to be present in the fictional world of Grey-Sloane Memorial Hospital. However, as the season has unfolded, there are references to it. It’s not that they are pretending it never happened. They are pretending it is over. The show is moving forward and focusing on developing the characters relationships to each other.

I also believe that the showrunners and writers have opened doors for spin-off shows. Because, sadly, just like every other t.v. show that goes on for years, there will someday be a final episode on Grey’s Anatomy.

Now, I acknowledge that what I’m about to say next is solely for fellow fans of Grey’s, but here are the options I see for spin-off shows:

The journeys of the current class of interns (Schmitt, Helm, Nico, the Ortiz mother-daughter duo) who, to me, capture the vibe of the OG interns.

A show set in Minnesota, featuring Meredith, Amelia, Kai, and Meredith’s new love interest (who I think resembles McDreamy, especially his smile), Nick.

It would not surprise me in the least if there is a spin-off of Grey’s in the future. I will be there for it.

You all know by now I love to end my blog posts with a song. Here’s a beautiful one from the current season of Grey’s. I think it captures the mood of this (hopefully not final) season of my favorite show.









BingeworthyTV, Entertainment, Television, Women, Writing

Bingeworthy TV

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I was planning on putting on my “reviewer of t.v. fare” hat on and wax on about how I love the Amazon Prime series “Catastrophe” and how you should all watch it.

But then I caught the Netflix series “Dead to Me” and decided you need to watch that one too.

First things first.

About Catastrophe: this show is, to me, the perfect blend of romance and humor. The writing is simply brilliant. And the very last episode was perfection. So unlike every other show that has a sucky last ever episode. Every single person who worked on this show in any capacity will benefit from this being on their resume.

Weirdly, the last episode included a joke about ceramic bananas (in reference to one of the main characters mom, played by the late great Carrie Fisher). While I believe one could posit that this is a great name for the next great rock band, in the vein perhaps of Greta Van Fleet, I related to it on a personal level.

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This ceramic banana bowl was bequethed to me by my grandmother-in-law before she passed. It now sits as a “catch all” atop my dining room table.

 

Short description of this show: it’s a highly relatable, humorous tale of a marriage between middle agers Sharon, from Scotland, and Rob, from the good old USA. It’s set in England. The two meet, get between the sheets in record time, and before you know it, they are married and Sharon is pregnant. They muddle through life together, have another kid, and presumably live happily ever after (that is why the last ever episode ROCKED.)

Here’s a clip that I think gives you a taste of how this show rolls.

 

Other factors at play throughout the series include both Sharon and Rob’s struggles in their careers (she an elementary school teacher, he an ad man), their periodically dysfunctional family members and friends, and Rob’s struggle with alcoholism. The two of them banter just like real life married people. I so heart this show.

Now onto “Dead to Me”. This show is about sisterhood. The two main characters, played by Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, are tied together by fate. One accidentally kills the other’s husband with her car (it was dark out and they didn’t see him in time), and they wind up in group grief therapy together. The two actresses play off each other so well. Their character’s personalities are quite different, which makes for interesting dialogue. There are twists and turns and plenty of drama, but plenty of laughs as well. I found it incredibly easy, not to mention enjoyable, to watch episode after episode in the span of a couple of weeks. This first season had a “holy shit” sort of ending which makes me so curious where the writers will take the story next. I can only assume there will be a Season 2.

I have recently begun watching “Little Big Lies”, which may be my next bingeworthy series. I was interested in watching it largely due to the actresses in the series: Nicole Kidman. Reese Witherspoon. Laura Dern. Shailene Woodley. Zoe Kravitz.

Now, I have only watched the first 5 episodes of Season 1 thus far, so for anyone who has seen the entire series: No spoilers, please. I love surprises!

My take on this show (aka why I find it bingeworthy): it is set in beautiful California. The camera work showing scenes of the ocean is spectacular. The characters live in beautiful homes and have fabulous wardrobes.

I think the opening credits provide an excellent example of the aesthetics in this show. And this song is gorgeous, right?

Beyond the aesthetics is the complexity of the five primary female characters. They are all dynamic, multi-layered, strong women. They are moms first; they fiercely love their children. They have love/hate relationships with each other and in some cases with their spouses. The superb acting and storytelling are highly compelling. I just know there are deep, dark secrets going on under the surface and I am looking forward to their unveiling.

So tell me, my fellow bingers, what shows are bingeworthy to you? Please share comments on the shows I mentioned if you have also found them bingeworthy.