These shows have a few things in common. They are neither violent, nor aggressive, nor depressing yet are substantive enough to make them worth watching. They are undemanding, kinda cozy and provide lots of love and laughter with some getting bonus points for exquisite scenery and beautiful settings. Basically they tick all the boxes for enjoyable, bingeable TV. (And yes, I am shamelessly stretching British to include the Commonwealth – two of these shows are Australian.
~Brief Encounters In 1980’s Sheffield, a group of women of all ages and walks of life are brought together when they get into the rather cheeky business of selling knickers and sex toys through home parties. Yep, this show gets down and dirty! Although I would like to point out that there are no GOT style sex scenes here: it’s all charmingly quaint and fun. Steph, Pauline, Nita and Dawn are struggling to find their own independence in a world dominated by men while trying to make ends meet: which basically makes that this is a show about women rising to the occasion when the men in their lives can’t (and, yes, I just went there). It’s warmhearted, slightly naughty entertainment about female camaraderie which’ll give all the feels. Bonus points for a brilliant ’80’s soundtrack.
~Delicious Superstar Chef Leo (Iain Glenn) serves up food at the beautiful Penrose Hotel situated in bucolic Cornwall, alongside ex-wife Gina and current wife Sam. The overarching premise of the show has Gina and Sam in a push/pull, love/hate relationship which takes on new meaning when circumstances take an unexpected turn. The storyline boils over with family drama (one kid from each marriage and an acid tongue’d mother-in-law) and simmers with spicy tension yet is as light and airy as a cream puff. This one may not be cooked to perfection, but the acting stands on solid ground and the gentle blandness in the writing department is more than made up for with the citrusy brightness of delicious food and the sweetness of the Cornish countryside. Served piping hot and easy to digest. And yes, I can see you rolling your eyes at my persistent overuse of culinary terminology.
~Good Karma Hospital Ruby Walker is a young doctor who suffers a breakup and decides to take a post in a hospital in India in an attempt to outrun her problems with a change of scenery. Upon arrival she discovers that the hospital is, well, not quite as it was portrayed in the magazine advert. To boot, it’s run by no-nonsense Dr. Lydia Fonseca who immediately intuits the reason for Ruby’s arrival and admonishes her that this is real life and not a gap year experience. On the bright side, there’s the devilishly handsome Dr. Varma who, yes, she takes an instant dislike to, but there’s no need to be coy as to where this relationship ultimately lands. The storylines cover Ruby’s culture shock, working in a hospital without the benefit of modern technology and issues that pertain to this corner of the world. Unchallenging, a wee bit one dimensional and definitely soapy – but it’s bright and cheerful, deliciously smelling exotic soap with a side of lush greenery and beautiful sunsets.
~800 Words George Turner is a recently widowed father of two who writes an (exactly) 800 word column for a Sydney newspaper. On a whim, he buys a house on line in a small New Zealand town where he spent summers as a kid, uprooting his (decidedly not thrilled) teenagers, Shay and Arlo, only to discover that the house looks nothing like the brochure. The damage is done, however, and now this big city family must adjust not only to small town life but also to their loss and grief. But Weld has numerous quirky townsfolk and plenty of small town drama on offer, resulting in a warm and fuzzy dramedy set against a beautiful backdrop and lots of surfing.
~The Heart Guy The main character of this show is the gorgeous Dr. Hugh Knight. Unfortunately Dr. Hugh, charmer that he is, has been a bit of a bad boy. Brilliant doctor he may be, but he’s also an arrogant hedonist with a nasty drug problem resulting in a spectacular fall from grace and an enforced trip back to his hometown of Whyhope. Here, he must serve as a doctor in a backwater clinic under the supervision of Dr. Penny Cartwright for a full year, taking drug tests to prove he’s clean. Quirky characters abound once again, in both family and clinic (his hilarious force of nature mum, for example, is not beyond a little bribery to get herself elected mayor). It’s light hearted, saturated with dry humor and sarcastic wit and is completely addictive. The sunny, wide open Australian backdrop is icing on the cake.
~Outnumbered As a rule I’m not a fan of comedies about family life. Too often the harried family trope feels trite and tedious. But this show is different: a lot of the acting is improvisational making it feel fresh and natural. No forced, over the top jokes, just genuine (and absolutely hilarious) conversations, which are wry and ridiculously spot on. And no laugh track. God how I hate laugh tracks. The show revolves around South London parents Pete and Sue Brockman and the three children who run their lives: almost teen, angst ridden Jake, pathological liar Ben and 6 year old daughter Karen who steals every single show with her questions and deadpan observations. Not all the truths are universal ones, but I defy any parent not to find a piece of themselves in this. So, so funny.