If you are anything like me you’ve been staying home quite a bit since the Pandemic started. Even those of us who didn’t think it would last very long, eventually started seeking ways to distract and entertain ourselves during the last year. With the best of intentions, Thom and I still ended up watching far more television than I care to admit. However what makes that concession even more challenging is finding shows that we both want to watch. So why not share the best we’ve discovered in the last 12 months?
When you look at my list you might not know it, but I believe Thom and I are fairly picky about what we watch. Even more necessary than a show that can hold our continued interest is that we vehemently dislike tv commercials. A year ago we still subscribed to our local television provider Spectrum and paid extra for the “privilege” of recording shows on a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) so we could avoid those darn commercials. Our bill was just under $150 for little more than basic Cable TV and internet. We were doing okay with that while our television consumption was lower, but with stay-at-home-orders I began wanting more options. Plus, Spectrum decided to jack up the prices for what we had. Finally, about six months into 2020 we cancelled our television subscription and went all “Streaming.” In other words, all of the programing we now watch is on individual channel subscriptions.
What have we watched or are still watching? Without considering movies, here is my list of the series we have watched over the last year and two months for at least a full season, plus often as many seasons as they offer. Sadly, sometimes the first season is great but then following seasons are less engaging. I am listing them in no particular order, and I am putting a star by the ones we rate most high.
Netflix—Free with our T-Mobile Account
- *Good witch (feel good))
- The Kominsky Method (sitcom)
- After Life (Comedy)
- *Grace & Frankie (sitcom)
- *Schitt’s Creek (sitcom)
- Emily in Paris (sitcom)
- *Last Tango in Halifax (British comedy/drama
- *Stranger Things (drama/supernatural)
- *Dash & Lily (rom/com with a Christmas Theme)
- The OA (drama/supernatural)
- The Witcher (supernatural)
- Russian Doll (comedy/drama)
- Bridgerton (drama)
- *Sense8 (drama/supernatural)
- Breaking Bad (drama)
- Lucifer (drama/supernatural)
- Virgin River (feel good)
- Versailles (historical drama)
- Outlander (historical drama)
- Lupin (mystery drama) (Thom really liked this one. Just okay to me.)
- The Bodyguard (thriller/drama)
- Ragnorok (supernatural)
- Dark (Syfy)
- The Stranger (mystery/drama)
- *The Queen’s Gambit (drama)
- *Longmire (western)
- *Unorthodox (drama)
Amazon Prime—Annually $119+ taxes for all Prime benefits including video
- *Good Girls Revolt (drama)
- The Wilds (drama/Syfy)Indian Summers (British drama)
- *Fortitude (drama/mystery)
- *Goliath (legal drama
- *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (comedy)
- Bosch (detective drama)
- *Mystery Road (detective drama)
- Upload (sitcom)
- Tales from the Loop (Syfy drama)
- *The Durrell’s in Corfu (British Drama)
- *Hanna (Thriller/Syfy)
- The Man In High Castle (Syfy)
Sundance Now/AMC + $6.99/month
- *Riviera (mystery/drama)
- A Discovery of Witches (supernatural)
- *Upright (comedy/drama)
- The Commons (Syfy drama)
- Dispatches From Elsewhere (supernatural)
Hulu–$11.99 per month
- Justified (police drama)
- Being Erica (supernatural comedy)
- DEVS (Syfy drama)
- Atlantis (historical supernatural)
- *The Great (historical drama)
- *Mrs. American (drama)
- *Little Fires Everywhere (drama)
- Big Sky (crime drama)
- NEXT (Syfy)
- *This Is Us (I really like this one. Thom is less interested)
- High Fidelity (rom/com)
Apple TV—Free (so far)
- *Ted Lasso (sitcom)
- *The Morning Show (drama)
- Long Way Up (reality/motorcycle/travel)
- *Truth Be Told (Legal Drama)
- Dickenson (Historical comedy)
Starz –special promo cost of $5.00/month (let subscription expire)
The White Queen (historical drama)
*Black Sails (historical drama)
HBO—special promo Cost of $69.99/6 months
- *Big Little Lies (drama)
- *Watchmen (drama Supernatural)
- Raised by Wolves (Syfy)
- *His Dark Materials (supernatural–Syfy)
- Barry (dark comedy)
CBS All Access—Soon to be Paramount +—special promo cost of $50.00/year
- *The Good Fight (legal drama—watch The Good Wife First)
- *CBS Sunday Morning (news—the only one we watch)
- All Rise (legal drama)
- Bull (legal drama
- *Star Trek Picard (Syfy)
- *Star Trek Discovery (Syfy )
- Why Women Kill (comedy)
Disney+ 6.99/mo subscribed long enough to watch both seasons of this show
- *Mandalorian
At the present time we are spending just under $45 per month for these services. As you can see, a couple of the channels are offering special promotions but I’m guessing we will just watch the shows we like and then cancel them before renewal. I also usually wait to sign up for any of the channels until they offer a promotion. Interestingly enough, according to statista.com streaming services like these were expected to rise 15% in 2020. They certainly did in our family.
Do we regret cancelling cable? Not in the least. With streaming services there are no commercials (we only subscribe when commercial free is an option.) And because we don’t watch any local news and neither of us are into sports, we also save quite a bit. You can get news and sports, but you have to pay extra for them. Overall I calculate that we are saving about $25 a month and are very happy with the wide variety of shows we are able to watch. It takes a little more maintenance to watch pricing and pay attention to what show is on which service rather than just paying one flat fee a month and then either liking or not what is offered.
I would like to believe that once daylight savings happens (March 14th) that we will be watching less television because we can be outside more. Plus, hopefully when the pandemic pans out we will be traveling more and have actually have a social life again. But maybe not. The statistics offer by Statistica.com say that those in the 50-64 age group watch nearly six hours of TV a day and those over 65 watch a whopping seven-plus hours a day. Yikes! Fortunately Thom and I are not spending that much time yet (in spite of our long list of shows!) but I believe we would all be wise to realize that planting ourselves in front of the television isn’t particularly good for our health or our wellbeing. And remember, you don’t want to just sit there hour after hour binging on a program. Even when watching only a show or two a night, we remind one another to take a break, get up, move around and even exercise.
I’m the first to admit that I like to relax and be entertained on a regular basis. And thank goodness this distraction was available to so many of us during the last 365 days. But let’s also remember that a SMART and fulfilled experience is far more than just watching the lives of others on a screen and calling it a life.
Okay, your turn. Did I miss any that you’ve watched? Let’s share favorites in the comments!
There is a lot of hoax news about this pandemic. I don’t care. Just follow my doctor’s advice.
Kathy,
We’re a BIG TV watching family — and can guarantee I’ve watched MANY more shows than you — but I’ve only seen 11 on your list. We clearly have different viewing habits. Seeing your list, some I’d recommend that you might appreciate/enjoy: A Million Little Things (along lines of This is Us – but more complex characters), New Amsterdam (hospital drama). If you’re interested in a Black television series, you might explore Queen Sugar (not sure if it streams anywhere though). If you’d like more info on Black movies and series – I’ve got a few lists I could share. If you like Meryl Streep: Let Them All Talk (3 retired friends reunite) and if you like Glenn Close: The Wife.
Hi Janet! I have watched A Million Little Things from cable when we had it so I didn’t list it here. Never watched New Amsterdam…Thom doesn’t like hospital dramas. I don’t specifically seek out or ignore any Black television series–if they are a good show in a genre that is interesting to us, we watch it. So I will check out Queen Sugar. Did you see “Watchmen” on HBO–very good. As far as the movies we started watching “Let Them Talk” and really didn’t like it. The story line seemed dull and the acting overdone. But I do think we saw “The Wife” and liked that one a lot.
I guess what it comes down to is that we all have our particular interests about what makes a good show. We like mysteries but none that involve serial killers…just can’t stand them! We like dramas that tell interesting stories but if they get too repetitive we stop. And yes we do find supernatural and Syfy interesting if the script makes sense (at least to us) and the characters act like they have half a brain. If we don’t like the main characters we seldom like the show. But hey, isn’t that why they have so many different kinds of shows? Thanks for your list! `Kathy
P.S. Just checked and Queen Sugar is on the OWN channel which I don’t get right now. But if I drop a few others and need to find more good shows I will consider it. Rotten Tomatoes rated the show highly.
Kathy – just to be sure you realize I didn’t mean to imply you avoided Black shows. (We do tend to seek them out – to support the industry). I just meant they don’t always tend to be mainstream so they can get easily missed. And yes, I agree that it comes down to particular interests! My husband and sons enjoy supernatural and Syfy – me and my daughter less so. I let my husband control the remote when we’re together and watch the stuff he doesn’t like when he’s at work or out. LOL. The thing that gets me is — even with all the very streaming services and options, sometimes I just can’t find anything interesting to watch!
Absolutely! I didn’t think you meant that…and I agree that finding good shows can always be difficult so I’m open to any recommendations you want to make. And I agree that it can see discouraging and overwhelming when looking for a show that you want to spend any time watching and that is a big motivation for my list. I am sure not all of them appeal to everyone but maybe if you are wondering whether to watch something tonight you now have some potential places to start.
I’m not a big TV watcher and Tim & I rarely like similar things…. so he watches TV and I read in another room. However, our monthly foodie group (now meeting on zoom) is always taking about what to watch, so I’ll be sharing some of your top recco’s with them.
Hi Pat! Good for you for reading instead of staring at the screen. I love to read but find I do a lot of it in the day time so by nighttime I’m just in the mood for entertainment and a little surfing on the laptop. But even though Thom and I’s taste’s are a bit eclectic, we only watch what I find good reviews on. Life is REALLY to short to watch programs that either don’t interest us or are poorly done. Feel free to share my recommendations around. ~Kathy
Wow! You really got a lot of response on this! I have never liked TV however….. covid. I still don’t love it but made 11 scarves for a mission project while watching this winter. Because I watch so little I find I can do one streaming service at a time and that is enough. Just quite Prime – then Netflix – subscribed to Discovery +. Loving the HGTV which I have never got to really enjoy because I don’t do cable. Besides not being a tv enthusiast I’m not real good with technology either so all these devices and apps and services make me crazy. On the occasion that I hear of something I really want to watch -by the time I find it it’s often something I have to pay extra for. ReallY?? There are a few series I have loved however. White Collar – Burn Notice – and Leverage are favorites. Thanks for your posts and your thoughts – they brighten my days.
Hi Nancy Jean! It is probably pretty smart to just pay for one service at a time. But I do like watching a couple of different shows each night rather than binging them straight through. And occasionally HGTV and/or Discovery is good but I have seen so many of them in the past I’m sort of over them. We did like Burn Notice AND Leverage when we were subscribers though and yes, they were both good. The best thing about most TV IMHO is that you can do things like knit scarves for others while watching. I seldom watch anything, no matter how good, without my laptop on my lap! Thanks for the compliment. ~Kathy
Internet accessibility is an issue where I live. In the interest of right-sizing, I’m not ready to invest in more at this time so I still rely on satellite service for tv viewing. I look at it as a smorgasbord from which I choose what’s interesting to me – movies, sitcoms, reality tv, music, cooking/home decor, lifestyle programming. I particularly enjoy The Island Diaries, Finding Your Roots, Tough as Nails, Still Standing, The Unicorn, The Voice. At the end of the day, I want to be entertained and informed. So far so good. I don’t need to be watching the latest “hot” program on the latest streaming platform. No FOMO here.
Hi Mona! Thanks for pointing out that you need good (and relatively fast) internet to do a lot of streaming. Our area is fairly stable and we do have good internet…at a cost. We are paying $75 for cable internet a month. Not cheap but obviously I need it for the blog and Thom needs it for his work so it isn’t just for entertainment for us. And I agree, at night I am looking for something reasonable intelligent BUT still entertaining. I will check out your recommendations. Thanks. ~Kathy
I thought we watched a lot of TV, but it seems that we have a lot more to go. We just started Lupin. Anyway, I can add two recommendations from Netflix: Call My Agent and Episodes (altho’ the last Episodes season gets kind of raunchy).
Hi Tom! I’ll have to check your recommendations out. And yes, there is ALWAYS more shows to watch. But like I responded to another, I try to read reviews and check rottentomatoes.com before even starting some to make sure it isn’t a disaster before wasting our time. Unfortunately as we all know there is a lot of junk out there. ~Kathy
Hi Kathy, After reading your article I realized that we have basic cable but don’t use it. You just saved me some money…thanks!! I mostly use YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime. I enjoyed Last Tango in Halifax oh my goodness what a mess lol I also love Father Brown and my favorite is Call the Midwife. I also watch a lot of This Old House. I am going to give some of the shows on your list a try.
Hi Amanada! Yes, don’t be afraid to cancel cable Amanda. We do subscribe to the local newspaper online so get local news that way…and have no interest in watching it on TV. And thanks for recommending Father Brown…another person recommended it too….but I tried to get Thom interested in Call The Midwife but it was a no. Hopefully soon we can all back away a bit for the TV and start enjoying both the outside and each other! ~Kathy
Hi Kathy,
Yes, watching too much TV is definitely not good for the mind or the body. Fortunately, neither one of us is prone to doing that under normal circumstances.
I couldn’t agree more about the commercials. We, too, have a PVR because we don’t like them either (my husband more than me). That’s probably because of the 5-1/2 years working in the television industry putting commercials on air and worrying about any little error ?.
I think we may watch slightly more TV now however we use it more for music than anything or the occasional movie. As far the series you listed, I like Good Witch (hubby not so much). And we both LOVE Lucifer!
We are both waiting for the days we can spend more time outdoors, too. And, like yourself, looking so forward to socializing and traveling once it’s safe to do so again. Hopefully, the prices don’t get too crazy! So many great places to see and experience! We haven’t looked into streaming services however that might be a viable option – thanks for the list, appreciate it!
Hi Debbie! I know it looks like we are actually watching A LOT of television and to some it might be true. But like I said, I think we are fairly picky. We hardly ever even start watching stuff before we check with rottentomatoes.com to check reviews. There are SO MANY shows out there but the majority just don’t appeal to us. As I said in another comment, even with the shows we REALLY like we also have our laptops on our laps and are surfing other interests (like my travel plans!) And hopefully yes, once we can start traveling again I won’t have to just surf it on my computer!
And yes to the music. We like having music on during the day (never TV shows!) and are now giving Apple music a try for a free trail for 3 months. ~Kathy
Kathy, you sound just like us! We have never had cable, but we use all kinds of streaming services. We started out our adventure with pandemic films and series, such as Containment (I loved it!), Contagion (too much like our real situation), etc. Then it was on to SciFi, with Stranger Things (I liked it too!) and Preacher (really liked it!). We watched the Handmaiden’s Tale (some parts were a little too realistic…). Now I am binge watching The Office while I wait out the quarantine clock until I can return to my real job. I love it, but I am worried that I will start talking to the camera when I go back to work…
Hi Bethany! hahaha! I can see you walking around and doing little cutaways to talk to an imaginary camera. Try not to do that! And we did watch those movies to and actually try to break up some of the series day after day with them. But this list was long enough. Maybe sometime in the future I will post some of our favorite movies…but I’m hoping we can back away from the TV in the days ahead and not be tempted. Oh, FYI…I wanted to watch the Handmaidens Tale (I read the book) but Thom could barely get through the first episode. It horrified him so we didn’t watch it. And yes to just being able to go back to work! ~Kathy
Well I set out to binge watch every episode of every series of Downton Abbey on Amazon Prime over a very cold two week period in January when it indicated they were being removed on the last day of that month. It got so pressurising that the enjoyment of viewing went away but then I got a reprieve as the removal date was altered to 14th February. Needless to say having accomplished what became a task, I’m extremely cross to discover they are all still there and I could have stretched out the enjoyment. Hour after hour of TV viewing just isn’t my thing.
Hi Caree! I so agree that when it becomes a “must watch” it takes the fun out of it. We very seldom watch more than one episode of any show a night. For some reason I just don’t like to “binge” on shows. And I also agree about the hour after hour of just sitting there. After one show my butt gets sore and it’s time to move around some. We have a little exercise routine and between that and sitting in the hot tub we can usually break up the evening some. I can’t even imagine anyone who could sit there for the “average 7 hours a day.” They must have the TV going in the background all day long, right? ~Kathy
I’m with Thom on Lupin 🙂
Ted Lasso is fantastic. Also Durrells in Corfu – uplifting + travel!
We are rewatching Monk (AmazonPrime)
Not sure if #1 Ladies Detective Agency is still on HBO, but I love that series.
I’m also a big fan of Father Brown and Death in Paradise – both “light” mystery series that have been on different platforms.
Hi Michelle. We are hoping the 2nd season of Lupin comes out soon. And YES to Ted Lasso. It sounds like a silly show and it’s about sports which isn’t really an interest, but the story is done so well that I really like it too. And because you like travel and mysteries you should check out Riviera. It’s filmed in Monaco and the south of France and lots really helps make you feel like you went somewhere…
I don’t ever remember seeing Ladies Detective Agency, Father Brown or Death in Paradise. I will definitely check them out. Thanks for the recommendations! ~Kathy
Have you tried MHz Beck
TArot-Burowski
Ellen Mueller
All cc but after awhile you forget you’re reading! You might even learn some other language? I tend to like Scandinavian and German better than French or Italian.
Hi Sheryl. No I haven’t even heard of them. I guess I will have to check them out. Thanks for the recommendations. And I what a great way to learn another language. I’ve been studying Spanish pretty consistently for the last six months so I ought to try watching either a movie done in Spanish or an English movie with the cc into Spanish. I’ll let you know how it goes. ~Kathy
Nice list! Quite a bit of overlap with things I have watched. I haven’t had cable TV for years, then had it installed when my mom came to live/die at my house. After she passed, I got rid of it again. I don’t get all the same streaming services as you do. The ones I do have (Netflix, Prime, Crave) offer me plenty of options for when I want to sit down in front of the TV. I’ve thought about a subscription to British shows but as you said, the days will be getting longer and the weather better so less TV is in the future! Perhaps next fall…
Deb
Hi Deb! I’m guessing that a lot of people I know watch some of these shows already. And this doesn’t even include the ones we watched BEFORE covid like all the seasons of Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones! I do think I’m done with cable but also plan to trim these back once we cherry pick all the good ones off of them. I’ve not heard of Crave so I’ll have to check that one out. And YES to longer days and great weather!~ Kathy
Hi Kathy,
I think Crave is Canadian-only, but I could be wrong….
Deb
That is a lot of TV watching. My wife and I have watched a lot also. We really enjoyed Goliath and Bosch from your list. I read a lot and read Michael Connelly books which is what Bosch is based on. After watching the show, I picture Bosch from the show as I read. It really adds to the story. We also enjoyed Ozark on Netflix and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon. I would recommend them both. The problem with streaming is that I get on to look for a show and quickly get overwhelmed with the amount of programming I’d like to watch. There are not enough hours to get to it all!
Hi Mitch! Thanks for leaving a comment. I just learned of your blog and now will have to pop over and check it out. We haven’t finished all the series of Bosch yet because it sort of bogged down on the 3rd or 4th season and we drifted away. But I did like the characters. We also watched the first season of Ozark and liked it (pre-covid) but could not get into season 2. And yes, we have watched ever episode of Mrs. Maisel. A fun and wonderful show. I agree that “managing” all the shows can be a job and even just coming up with this list was a chore…of course now I have a list where each show is playing and that will help! ~Kathy
Hi, Kathy —
Michael and I are watching a lot more television, too! Maybe it’s having so much quiet in our lives that we don’t see quite as many evenings aside for reading, even though we enjoy it — especially in front of a blazing fire. Thank goodness for all those writers and producers and actors who are trying to give us some not-so-dumb television!
One recommendation I’d add to your excellent list is The Detectorists, from England. I think we started it on Amazon or Netflix, then subscribed to Acorn for a couple of months to get the final two seasons. It’s quite quirky but funny in a dry, British, understated way — and unbelievably sweet.
Hi Nancy! Thank you! Always looking for well written shows–and ones that can make you laugh are great! There are two things I absolutely can’t stand in a show and that is over the top gratuitous violence AND poor writing with stupid characters. While a few on our list push that limit a bit there are some shows that can really be a delight. ~Kathy
We, too, love Acorn and Britbox. I’d love to know what you’ve watched. If you have Netfix and like Australian show, I recommend Wanted and Offspring.
Hi Sheila! Another recommendation for Acorn and Britbox! Thank you! I’ll have to check them out. I’ve watched several British shows (all the Downton Abbey BEFORE Covid) and have watched several Austailian ones that are on either Hulu on Netfix so I’ll probably like those channels. ~Kathy
Hi, Sheila.
On Britbox we’ve truly enjoyed Vera, though one must jump over to Acorn to catch the middle series and then back to Britbox to finish out the show. We’ve also enjoyed Shetland – the stories, the characters and most of all the scenery. If you like high drama policing, check out MI-5 and Line of Duty. For comedy, you will laugh at Hyacinth in Keeping Up Appearances and if you can take the British humor (language) try Mrs. Brown’s Sons. For old school drama try The Sandbaggers. Also good is Dr. Blake Mysteries. On Acorn we’ve truly been enjoying Foyle’s War. FW is set during WWII early timeframe.
I enjoyed reading what you have watched and how.
Currently we are in our second year of DISH satellite television. When that subscription ends we also will be streaming.
Because of the pandemic our regular channel shows ended – some quite abruptly. We looked into the ROKU stick and the options we could have with the apps available. It has been a God-Send and worth the cost. Through it we can view shows on BritBox which has become an evening favorite. (there is a cost for the app and in our opinion it is worth it) The shows are wonderful, no skipping through commercials and we have found several favorites. We also use the ACORN app for some Australian, British and original programming. Again, we have found several shows we have really enjoyed. We tend to turn on the television around 6pm for the national news and then watch our shows from 7 until 11 always ending with something light and funny. It is interesting that since our US shows have come back they are very spread out, meaning not weekly, and I am not liking them as much. As George Harrison of the Beatles once told David Frost in an interview “American tv is rubbish”. A lot of it is. We have removed a few from the DVR timer. I could go on and on but I won’t bore you. Here’s to warmer weather and good health.
Hi Karen! I’ve considered both BritBox and ACORN because we do like a lot of the Australian and British programing, although we do have a soft spot for Syfy and Supernatural and don’t notice it there as much. Thank you for the recommendation for those services. When we run out of potential stuff on the ones we have I’ll check them out. And yeah, we also aren’t daytime TV watchers AT ALL. It is always after dinner and I do my best to hold off in the evening just because I dislike thinking of myself as a couch potato! But yes, some shows are absolutely rubbish–violent and stupid and I would rather sit in the dark than watch them for sure. Thanks for your thoughts and YES to warmer weather and good health!!!! ~Kathy
HI, Kathy – I have seen embarrassingly few of the shows that you have mentioned above (3 to be exact, but all three were watched prior to the pandemic). I do swear that tv and movie watching is a skill that I am sadly lacking. I did recently watch the 1939 version of Wuthering Heights. I found Merle Oberon’s performance to be stilted (yes, I realize that it was 1939). And, I found that Lawrence Olivier’s portrayal of Heathcliff made Heathclfff out to be even a stranger duck than he may actually have been. And shooting the film in California didn’t give me a true sense of being on the moors of England.
Suffice it to say, I am not likely to be asked to be a professional film critic soon. Apparently, this version won the 1939 New York Film Critics Award for Best Film and was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor. In 2007, this film was selected for preservation in the United National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically and aesthetically significant”. I told you that I am missing the viewing gene. Sigh! 🙁
Hi Donna! You have nothing to apologize for–in fact I envy you!!! I wish I could find something to replace it (when it is dark out!) and while we are stuck at home. But I read a lot during the day and by after dinner time I just want to sort of veg. Of course we both have our laptops (on our laps!) going at the same time. If there is any “skill” to what we are doing it is that we can some searching and watch a program at the same time. And don’t worry about bit about your “reviewing skills.” I can’t tell you how many times we check something out only to be sadly disappointed. With movies we give them 20 minutes. With series that aren’t too bad we try to give them at least a couple of episodes to let us know if we like them. Looking forward to summer when we can be outside!!!! ~Kathy
Hi, Kathy – I appreciate your kind words. I do my hiking and outdoor stuff in the day time and my reading at night. Richard continually teases me about my lack of tv/movie viewing skills. He has seen me try….but has long ago given up on me ever acquiring this skill! 😀
I bought NetFlix for the first time last year and I do enjoy it, some of the same shows as you! A funny sitcom 30 minutes is Kim’s Convenience. Set in Toronto about a Korean family. I also liked SanClarita Diet, a comedy with Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant.
Hi Haralee! Great! Thanks for the referrals. We normally didn’t watch any sitcoms, but that changed in the last year. We found it really helpful that if we watched a couple of dramas to end the evening with something funny and light hearted. I will definitely check out your suggestions. ~Kathy