Need a break from studying for midterms and writing assignments over reading week? Here are 5 shows to binge watch for immersive and unproductive fun!

THE GOOD PLACE

Seasons: 3
Available on: Netflix, Hulu
If you liked: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office

One of the most consistently-delivering comedies on television, The Good Place follows Eleanor Shellstrop as she realizes that she has been mistakenly sent to the wrong afterlife and must correct her behavior before she is found out and sent to “the bad place.” This is a return to serialized, episodic comedy that soars. It’s fresh, funny, and addictive, capitalizing on its inventive premise and offering genuine character work and development while still prioritizing comedy. Before writing each episode, The Good Place’s writers remind themselves to be funny, to further character development, to tackle a question about ethics, to remain compelling, to coincide with the long game, and to make use of the premise and format. This is as an effective a formula as I’ve ever seen; no comedy has captured me as quickly as The Good Place has.

Peaky Blinders

Seasons: 4
Available on: Netflix
If you liked: Frontier, Boardwalk Empire, Taboo

Set in Birmingham, England following the conclusion of WWI, Peaky Blinders focuses on working-class and marginalized characters while delivering a slick crime drama faithful to its historical roots. Its setpieces are fantastic: Birmingham feels like a living and breathing city, as much a character as the show’s main cast of the Shelbys, a crime family characterized as “blinders” because of the razors they keep in their caps to blind their enemies. Unlike most peers in its genre, Peaky Blinders takes great care in focusing on classism, racism, and the mental health of veterans — protagonist Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from serving in the war. Great character work and visual design set to excellent music — Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand” gets a special mention here — make it one of Netflix’s most compulsively watchable and well put-together shows.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Seasons: 3
Available on: Netflix
If you liked: Anne with an E,
Gravity Falls, Sabrina the Teenage Witch

After years of complaining about the movie, fans have finally been treated to a faithful adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Delivering its third and final season in January, this show is best described as a short and snappy black comedy. The best TV shows are the ones that know not to linger, and the best adaptations usually involve the creator. The author of the books was directly involved and wrote several scripts for the show, which has been praised for its faithfulness and its excellent pacing. Really, A Series of Unfortunate Events is worth it for Neil Patrick Harris’s portrayal of the villainous Count Olaf alone, and for its wacky and wonderful set design. It constantly walks the line between cartoonishly fun and terribly tragic, making use of its colorful world and characters. This is one Netflix original you won’t want to miss out on.

Suits

Seasons: 8
Available on: Netflix
If you liked: Law & Order,
How To Get Away With Murder, White Collar

Who doesn’t love a good legal drama? Suits is so popular that it got itself a Korean and Japanese adaptation — not to mention it has a duchess on its cast list in Meghan Markle. The show is compulsively watchable, easy to binge, and full of constantly quotable characters — Harvey Specter manages to be one of the coolest characters on television, to the point of actual jealousy on my part.

If nothing else, watch it for loyalty to your city: Suits may be set in New York City, but it’s filmed right here in Toronto, and it shows. They’ve shot in the Newman Centre, Knox College, and even in front of our beloved brown food truck.

Daredevil

Seasons: 3
Available on: Netflix
If you liked: Agent Carter,
Gotham, Into the Spider-Verse

Another addition to the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daredevil tackles what might be considered a B-list (or even C-list!) superhero in Matt Murdock, a New York City resident who gained super senses from the same chemical accident that took away his sight. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the world of so-called ‘street-level’ heroes, in a world so greatly impacted by the grandiose events of film series like Iron Man and Avengers. What stands out most about Daredevil is its beautiful cinematography and its brilliant fight choreography; the single-take hallway fight scene in its first season has been described by some as the best fight scene on television. Beyond its kicks and punches, the show’s commitment to a disabled protagonist is admirable, and Vincent D’Onofrio does a stellar job as famous Marvel villain Kingpin. As bonus recommendations if you enjoy Daredevil, there are multiple other Marvel television projects waiting for you: Jessica Jones and Luke Cage feature in standalone shows, and they and Matt Murdock come together for The Defenders miniseries.