‘Rona Recommends: The 15 Best Shows to Watch While You’re Socially Distancing

As the weeks go by, the coronavirus continues to shut down facets of life as we know it. Sports is basically gone, going to see live rap shows is impossible, and even if you could go to the movies, everything you actually want to see has been pushed back. With social distancing firmly in place, the best thing we can do right now is get comfortable, make sure our streaming service bill(s) are paid, and get to binging. But what is there to binge?

We imagine you run through The Office like clean underwear (aka on a daily basis), and most of the stuff people tell you to watch is, in a word, wack. That’s where the PC squad at Complex comes in. We’ve been getting a number of requests about what folks should watch, so we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite shows—some legendary, others new, and some undeniably slept-on—in an effort to round out your viewing habits during this isolated period in all of our lives. We’ve not only given you a solid list, but made sure you know what genre(s) each series touches on so you can make more informed decisions.

We’ll make sure to keep this updated for those of you who have absolutely nothing but time on your hands. Get your snacks, get comfortable, and check our picks for the best shows to watch while you’re socially distancing yourselves. Be sure to wash your hands before you grab the remote, though!

‘Band of Brothers’

Streaming service: HBO Now
Series length: 10-episode miniseries
Genre(s): War, Drama
Logline: A dramatization of the historic of “Easy” Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, of the 101st Airborne Division, this Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning series takes you into the heart of World War II.

If there are any miniseries that truly defines the difference between a regular TV show and a multi-part movie, it’s Band of Brothers. Produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks only two short years after Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers keeps that same energy, delivering a cinematic WWII experience to blow out your Sonos. It also boasts one of the best casts of all time, launching the careers of an entire generation of stars such as Tom Hardy, Damian Lewis, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and too many more to list. So trust me when I say, break out the doomsday popcorn supply, because every episode’s a blockbuster —Nate Houston

‘Better Call Saul’

Streaming service: Netflix
Series length: Four seasons; 40 episodes
Genre(s): Black Comedy, Drama, Crime
Logline: The prequel to one of the greatest television series of all time takes its time in showing Jimmy McGill’s descent into Saul.

I’ve already spilled a fair amount of digital ink on this site about my love for Better Call Saul, but allow me to go to bat once more for a show I consider to be superior to Breaking Bad. The Saul Goodman-focused prequel/spin-off has its first four seasons available on Netflix, while its fifth season currently airs on AMC—which means there’s no better time to get caught up than right now.

With external circumstances forcing us indoors, I’d argue the show’s more methodical and leisurely paced-antics are perfectly suited to the sheer amount of binge-watching that’s currently taking place. Watching groups of episodes in a row make it easier to see that showrunners Peter Gould and Vince Gilligan are still providing a masterclass in character, story, and plot—all anchored by equally powerhouse performances from Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn.

Sure, Saul may have initially seemed like a lark for all involved. But as the show has progressed, it’s turned into a moving treatise on the tension between being good and doing good, a somber exploration of interpersonal relationship dynamics between family and partners, and an ever-growing eye for showing viewers the “how” of it all. If you’ve waited this long, delay no longer. It’s more than time for you to give your favorite “criminal” lawyer a call. —William Goodman

‘Better Things’

Streaming service: Hulu
Series length: Four seasons; 36 episodes (currently in Season 4)
Genre(s): Black Comedy, Drama
Logline: A single mother, her three daughters, and her peculiar mother live their lives in an ofttimes surreal Los Angeles. Hilarity—and realness—ensue.

With the executives at FX allowing real creatives to flex their artistry, Pamela Adlon has become the everywoman behind Better Things, which she starred and wrote in during season one and slowly became the show’s everywoman. Her darker humor and a keen eye for beauty have turned this ofttimes mystical, always-heartfelt series into one of the more captivating shows on television. Mirroring Adlon’s real life, the series finds ways to prop up the realities of being a single, working mother in today’s America without being corny, or preachy. It’s real, hilarious, painful life, told unapologetically and all-encompassing. It also happens to be one of the best shows currently running on television. Social lock-down is the PERFECT time to dive into the three previous seasons, catching up to where it is currently—it’d also give you the ammo you’d need to dive into Adlon’s recent appearance on Complex’s Watch Less podcast. —khal

‘Dare Me’

Streaming service: Netflix
Series length: One season; 10 episodes
Genre(s): Drame, Murder, Mystery, High school
Logline: A small-town high school cheerleading team with big dreams sets the stage for a mysterious violent act that sends shockwaves through the community.

One of our early favorites for Best Shows of 2020 (so far), USA Network’s cheerleader murder mystery Dare Me hits Netflix; hopefully more eyes pick it up as they are on their eternal search for something to watch. Set in smalltown America, a cheerleading squad gets a new coach who is immediately their idol…even though she shouldn’t be. Friendships get tested, innocence is lost, and the mystery unravels in bloody brilliant ways. It initially might look like Euphoria-lite, but its way more grounded, especially with performances from the likes of (relatively-unknown to American viewers) Marlo Kelly lighting up the screen, her character Beth evolving into a multifaceted enigma as the series progresses. It’s the dark purple-tinged high school drama you didn’t know you’d always needed. —khal

‘Dark’

Streaming service: Netflix
Series length: Two seasons; 18 episodes
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Thriller
Logline: The disappearance of a child unravels a conspiracy involving time travel that gobbles up four families spanning multiple generations.

My grandmother always used to say, “idle mind, work of devil.” And while she no speak’a the good English, she still made a valid point. Queue Dark, the best specimen of time travel to ever touch the screen. This highly entertaining mind-fuck of a sci-fi will get those synapse firing, with a mystery based in plot and character, then woven so elaborately through the continuum that you’ll actually have to think to solve it. Plus, the option is there to watch it in its original subtitled German, so you get to brag about how you used your Rona break to learn a new language. —Nate Houston

‘Dollhouse’

Streaming service: Hulu
Series length: Two seasons; 26 episodes
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller, Procedural
Logline: A shadowy organization rents people out to the rich, but one of their operatives is slowly gaining her consciousness back and ready to blow the conspiracy wide open.

This isn’t just a random pick; there’s actually a peg here. If you’re a fan of Westworld and especially feeling where Season 3 seems to be headed, then you should get a kick out of the Eliza Dushku-led Dollhouse. The series follows a shadowy organization of the same name, that, much like Westworld, thrives on catering specific fantasies to the uber-rich. In this case the methods are even ickier: instead of robots, there are “dolls,” actual human beings (who, so we’re told at least, signed up for this willingly) who operate as blank, child-like slates when they’re not in use but can otherwise be “programmed” with an identity suited to the client’s wants or needs. (Obviously sex is the standard—again, ick factor—but the series goes out of its way to throw in curves like a heist or at the very least give emotional weight to the clients besides just wanting to sleep with Eliza Dushku.)