8 TV Shows Parents Should Be Binge-Watching Right Now

I believe that my relationship with my husband is not only stronger when we're in the midst of binge-watching a TV show together but it's also a lot more fun. Unexpected bills could be causing tension while constant sass talk from our 8-year-old daughter is driving us crazy. . . but who cares that our dryer is on the fritz and our entire house siding needs to be replaced when all that really matters is who will survive on Yellowjackets and agreeing that yes, Roman is our top choice for "successor" in Succession.

My friend Alyssa, a busy, working mother of two, wholeheartedly agrees, saying that binging shows like White Lotus and Fleabag with her partner was a "great" pleasure. "I strongly believe that couples are at their best when invested in the same series. It gives you something to talk about that's not your kids or other mundane stresses," she says. "I feel bad for those who don't watch shows with their partners."

If you're looking for a new show for you and your partner to immerse yourselves in together OR even if you just want some alone time to tune out from daily life for a while—here are eight options to get started. They range from new to classic, funny to dramatic, thought-provoking to polarizing but all will give you and your partner something to bond over that has nothing to do with dirty diapers, college applications, house repairs, bedtime battles, or any other woes that all parents need to escape from!

Schitt's Creek

Where to Watch: Hulu, Amazon Prime

You'll blow through all six seasons of this hilarious, Emmy-winning gem about the wealthy Rose family—video store magnate Johnny (Eugene Levy), his wife and former soap opera actress Moira (Catherine O'Hara), and their spoiled adult children David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy). After they lose their fortune, they must suck it up and start their lives over in a tiny town they own (their last remaining asset) called Schitt's Creek. The conversation starters after each episode are quite fun—like, what would you and your partner do if overnight, you lost everything? Could you ever survive living in a motel room with your children? Should the song "A Little Bit Alexis" have won a Grammy?

Succession

Where to Watch: HBO

If you've heard the hype but haven't jumped on the Succession bandwagon, now is the time to meet the Roy family. They're the owners of media conglomerate Waystar RoyCo with their overbearing, intimidating, powerful family patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox) ready (maybe) to name his successor. That causes his four children to all begin vying, scheming, and plotting to be the "chosen one." This show is fast-paced, hilarious (in the darkest of ways), and keeps you on your toes. Expect lots of late-night conversations about which Roy sibling is your favorite, which you'd NEVER trust to run your company, and if you could ever outmaneuver Logan!

Ted Lasso

Where to Watch: Apple TV+

With so much bleakness in the world, sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned pick-me-up. Enter Ted Lasso (played by Jason Sudeikis), an American college football coach who is unexpectedly recruited to manage a fictional English Premier League soccer team. He has no experience and is actually hired because the team's owner wants him to fail (it's an act of revenge on her ex-husband—the team's former owner). Yet Ted's charm wins everyone over and makes the team an unexpected success! If you're having trouble choosing a show to binge, this is a great one to start with as it has something for everyone—sports, optimism, humor, and romance!

Scandal

Where to Watch: Hulu

There are seven seasons of this Shonda Rimes classic, all filled with so many twists, turns and cliffhangers that every episode leaves your head spinning. The show focuses on Washington, D.C. based crisis manager extraordinaire Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and all the highly classified situations her crisis management firm, Olivia Pope & Associates (OPA), "handles." In fact, it's best to watch this with your partner because you need someone to dissect all the deceit in each episode, decide who is secretly a member of the spy agency B613 and where Olivia possibly has the space to store her hundreds of beautiful coats!

Never Have I Ever

Where to Watch: Netflix

Let’s just get this out of the way—yes, Never Have I Ever is a high school drama created by Mindy Kaling AND it’s narrated by tennis legend John McEnroe. But it is very much an adult show that has been one of my favorites since it premiered in 2020 (it was the perfect pandemic watch). It revolves around Devi Vishwakumar, a 15-year-old Indian-American girl living in Los Angeles and dealing with the trauma of her father’s sudden death (McEnroe was her dad’s hero, hence the randomness of his narration). Devi and her friends navigate everything from finding their place in the “popular” clique, first love, finding their sexuality, dealing with family drama, the impact their decisions have on others, and more. You wouldn’t think this is your typical show to binge with your partner but my husband happened to walk in when I was watching, cracked up at more than one scene and now he won’t let me watch without him. I don’t mind because I love the conversations it starts about our own growing pains during high school—and how we will parent our daughter when she (EEK!) gets there too!

Yellowjackets

Where to Watch: Showtime

When season one of Yellowjackets debuted, I was dubious. As a rule, I usually do not love shows about plane crashes or people trying to survive in the wild. And yes, both those things are pretty big plot points of Yellowjackets—but it's also a coming-of-age drama with lots of mystery and even some psychological horror. In a nutshell, a high school girls soccer team's plane crashes in the remote northern wilderness. This happens in the mid-90s—but we go back and forth in time to see how they managed to survive then—and 25 years later as adults. The '90s soundtrack is one of the best parts of the show. My husband and I spend most of the show "Shazam-ing" songs and talking about our wildly different tastes in '90s music (he's more obscure punk, I was more Tori Amos).

The Bear

Where to Watch: Hulu

You can literally binge this addicting, beautiful, heart-wrenching, and hilarious series in one sitting. Season one is just eight, 30-minute (or less) episodes that go down like a fine wine. But I highly recommend taking your time with this incredibly complex show. It's about an uber-successful young chef (played by Jeremy Allen White from Shameless) that comes home to Chicago to run his family's Italian beef sandwich shop after the death of his older brother. My husband and I watched every episode together in awe as we talked about family, following dreams, and the sandwich cravings it brought on!

Yellowstone

Where to Watch: Paramount+, Peacock

So truth be told, my husband and I have not watched Yellowstone—yet. But, everyone from my parents to my doctor have insisted this is a must-watch show for us. Most of the people who have implored me to watch are ones that I'd NEVER expect to watch something "Western." But the series is much more of a family drama/soap opera that just happens to take place on a ranch. It follows the Dutton family, owners of the largest ranch in Montana, the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, (aka "the Yellowstone") with most of the plot revolving around family drama at the ranch and the bordering Broken Rock Indian Reservation, Yellowstone National Park, and developers.