binge report: retro edition

In May 2020, I wrote a post called “streaming in place” about how my husband and I were having issues navigating and communicating about which shows to watch together and which to watch separately. Since 2020, our circumstances have changed significantly because of the end of Covid quarantine, our kids both living on their own and my husband being semi-retired. You would think that with so much bandwidth available for interpersonal communication we would be crystal clear about who is watching what but that has not been the case. It seems that the combined viewing agenda is now a hot button issue like money, religion or politics.

Tensions escalated when I watched Last Week Tonight while on a plane and did not pre-approve this ahead of my flight.  To be completely honest, I thought I was watching an episode that was over a week old and, because it’s a current events show, not very compelling. Also, my husband and I had been apart for over two weeks before my flight so I assumed that our usual “watch together” shows were suspended for this period of time. Finally, I justified my decision because I was flying United from Newark to SFO and bracing myself for delays, lack of WiFi, and lackluster onboard entertainment. None of these excuses were considered or valued when my husband realized I had watched the latest episode of “Last Week Tonight” without him.

A few weeks later when I was out to dinner with girlfriends, my husband very deliberately watched the new episode of Last Week Tonight and started another show that he suspected would be in my wheel house. When questioned about this clearly hostile act, he was quite defensive. He believed that (a) I had breached the underlying agreement by watching Last Week Tonight on the plane and (b) while I was out, he had nothing to watch. I think we can all agree that the first excuse constitutes “revenge watching” and the second one is just lame. The whole topic escalated quickly because of his tone (you feel me, right?) and the fact that I’d already had several annoying things happen that day.

Truthfully, my red/green/yellow scheme from 2020 was never fully implemented and this conflict was inevitable. Going forward, we’ll keep a shared note where we indicate what we’re watching together and list what we’re watching or planning to watch separately. Hopefully, this will eliminate the confusion and hurt feelings that ensue when one of us feels the other has intentionally left them out or views a program they know is a likely “together” watch. I really hope that other people reading this are having the same problem because if we are alone in this struggle, this post is really going to fall flat and permanently hurt our social life. 

While working on our viewing priorities and interpersonal communication, I decided this would be a good time to do a binge report for pre-2020 comedies. Provided below is a curated list of my favorite pre-Covid comedies. I firmly believe each of these are required watching for anyone who identifies as a true lover of TV. Absent from this list are the obvious front runners Seinfeld, and Friends as well as Curb Your Enthusiasm, something I should love but don’t watch because it makes me feel incredibly anxious. Enjoy any of these on your next flight and no one can be mad at you for watching!

Arrested Development (2003-2006), currently on Netflix

The first three seasons are priceless but I can’t vouch for the last two seasons. This is a “riches to rags” story (similar to “Schitt’s Creek”) and there are an overwhelming number of lovable, clever, memorable characters and lines (“There’s money in the banana stand!”, Tobias Funke a.k.a. “never nude” and Liza Minnelli as Lucille II!)

Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020), watch Hulu and Prime Video

Because I loved the Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara pairing in the mockumentaries Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, I was a proud early adopter of Schitt’s Creek. In the early episodes, you expect to hate each member of the Rose family as they adapt to their new, very modest lifestyle. But, you can’t help loving the Schitt’s Creek City Council strategy discussions, the regulars at Café Tropical, the singers in the Jazzagals, every side glance by David and each weirdly emphasized syllable uttered by Moira.

It’s Garry Shandling’s Show (1986-1990), available Amazon Prime and Apple TV The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998), watch on Max, YouTube Premium, Hulu Premium

Was I weirdly obsessed with Garry Shandling during my teenage years? Possibly. But I was not alone. Please start with “The Larry Sanders Show” and drink in Garry, Jeffrey Tambor (who is also in Arrested Development) and Rip Torn (whose IMDb goes back to 1956!)  This is one of the original “shows about making a show” and deeply influenced the eventual creation of many of the other shows on this list. If you love Larry Sanders, then dig into It’s Garry Shandling’s Show and enjoy the clever comedy that broke the fourth wall, set in Sherman Oaks (my valley!) and a main character who knows and discusses that he is inside a TV show. 

Veep (2012 – 2019), watch on Max

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss manages to transform from our beloved  “Elaine Benes” into a second incredibly iconic character, VP Selena Meyer. (I apologize to those of you who loved The New Adventures of Old Christine but it did not stand out for me.) If you happened to be watching during the Biden administration, there were some very weird “art becomes reality” moments.

30 Rock (2006 – 2013), watch on Peacock and Hulu

I re-watched every single episode of this series during Covid quarantine and it was a bright spot during a dark time. My second viewing revealed that I had missed a ton of the subtle humor when I watched it the first time. Liz Lemon’s dating foibles, dirty gym clothes, affinity for strange snacks and dedication to the show, make her lovable and repulsive at the same time – and that’s my kind of female lead. 

How I Met Your Mother (2005 – 2014), watch on Netflix, Happy Endings (2011 – 2013), watch on Hulu, New Girl (2011 – 2018), available with Hulu or Peacock subscriptions

My assumption is that all three of these shows were inspired by the success of Friends as they also feature a group of five or six friends who are related, roommates, dating or formerly dating. I am casually watching How I Met Your Mother right now and it is a great escape when live TV is too hard to parse. Happy Endings is the least known of these and worth your time (just three seasons!) 

Silicon Valley (2014-2019), watch on Max 

We were late adopters on this show because my husband had weird feelings about seeing his life as a Silicon Valley corporate attorney mocked on TV. It is an absurd but also realistic satire of startups, venture capitalists, tech executives and the corporate environment in general. The nerd factor is high which makes for lovable weirdness and cringe-worthy awkwardness. 

If you have watched everything listed above, I also think these shows are excellent and have held up over time: Modern Family, Scrubs, Will & Grace, Mad About You, The Office and NewsRadio.