As a military spouse, finding ways to relax and unwind after a long day can be particularly difficult — thanks to all the additional stresses that come with military life. For many of us, turning on the television and bingeing our favorite show until the early morning is a tried-and-true way to either escape reality for a while, calm the nerves, or remind us who we are amidst all the other things we do.
Thankfully, with Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video streaming a wide range of new and classic TV shows, binge watching in 2020 couldn’t be easier. Whether you’re at stuck at home, flat-out bored or just looking for a show to get lost in during your spouse’s deployment, these binge-worthy TV series are perfect for MilSpouses looking to pass some time.
21 Binge-Worthy TV Shows, by Category:
Historical
- Outlander (Netflix/Hulu/Prime Video) — An English combat nurse from 1945 is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743. Romance and adventure ensues. Based on the popular books series by Diana Gabaldon.
- The Crown (Netflix) — Follow the political rivalries, personal life, and romance of young Queen Elizabeth II from the 1940’s to modern times.
- Vikings (Hulu) — Experience the brutal and action-packed saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking warrior and farmer who yearns to explore — and raid — the distant lands of Britain and France.
Action/Adventure
- The Letter for the King (Netflix) — Tiuri, a teenage squire, embarks on a perilous mission across three kingdoms to deliver a secret letter to the King. Set in medieval times, The Letter for the King is full of plot twists, epic battles, and even some mystical powers.
- Locke & Key (Netflix) — After their father is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Locke & Key tells the story of the Locke siblings, who return to their father’s childhood home, Keyhouse, which they discover is full of magical keys which might unlock the secret behind their father’s death.
- Ozark (Netflix) — A financial advisor and his family move from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he becomes involved in a dangerous money laundering scheme.
Comedy
- The Office (Netflix) — Between the stupid jokes, the hopeless romance and the hilarious characters, no list is complete without mentioning The Office as one of the top binge-worthy shows of all time.
- Dead Like Me (Hulu/Prime Video) — After her sudden death, 18-year-old George Lass discovers that an afterlife really does exist, but for her, that means working alongside a group of reapers who capture the souls of people moments before they die.
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) — A woman is rescued from a doomsday cult and starts life over again in New York City.
Drama
- Homecoming (Prime Video) — Heidi (Julia Roberts) works as a caseworker at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center, a facility helping soldiers transition to civilian life. As mysterious things start to happen in her life and her perspective on the program shifts, Heidi begins to realize that Homecoming isn’t what she thought it was.
- 9-1-1 (Hulu) — Follow a group of Los Angeles first responders as they respond to the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations. The unbelievable emergencies will keep you on the edge of your seat while the main characters’ wonderfully complex lives and histories unfold right before your eyes.
- Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu) — Based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller, “Little Fires Everywhere” is a suburban whodunit set in Shaker Heights, Ohio where two vastly different women become intricately linked.
Medical Drama
- Nurse Jackie (Netflix) — A drug-addicted emergency room nurse struggles to find a balance between her job at a busy New York City hospital and an array of personal dramas.
- The Good Doctor (Hulu) — Shaun Murphy, a young autistic surgeon with extraordinary medical gifts, is recruited into the surgical unit of a prestigious hospital.
- The Resident (Hulu) — A rebellious and talented group of doctors at Chastain Memorial Hospital face personal and professional challenges on a daily basis, constantly teetering between right and wrong.
Crime
- Hunters (Prime Video) — Set in modern day New York, Hunters tells the story of a troubled young Jewish man who joins a secret group of Nazi hunters to exact revenge for his grandmother’s murder.
- Prison Break (Hulu) — An innocent man is sent to death row and his only hope is his brother, who makes it his mission to deliberately get himself sent to the same prison in order to break him out, from the inside.
- The Sinner (Netflix) — Detective Harry Ambrose examines how and why ordinary people commit brutal crimes.
Sports
- All American (Netflix) — When a talented high school football player from a gang-ridden South Central neighborhood is recruited to play for Beverly Hills High School, his old life and his new life collide. Inspired by the true life story of NFL Superowl Champion, Spencer Paysinger.
- Friday Night Lights (Hulu/Prime Video) — A drama that follows the lives of the Dillon Panthers, one of the nation’s best high school football teams, and their head coach Eric Taylor.
- The English Game (Netflix) — The story of the invention of modern football in England and how a ragtag group of mill workers battled it out with an upper class football team in the 1879 FA Cup.
Know another binge-worthy TV series that you didn’t see on the list? Let us know in the comments!
