Holiday TV binge
5 shows to watch this Labor Day weekend.
Saying goodbye to summer is hard. Thankfully we get a three-day weekend to do it.
September officially is rolling in, school is starting, leaves are about to turn, and it’s Labor Day weekend, which means it’s the unofficial start of fall when we all get back to work on Tuesday.
Whether you’re spending this weekend with family, taking a quick trip, volunteering or just catching up on sleep, we have five TV shows that might be worth watching with your extra day, whether you want to binge multiple seasons or just catch a few episodes.
If you want to catch up on a quirky cult favorite about to go into its final season: ‘The Good Place’
If you can forking believe it, “The Good Place” is coming to an end. The upcoming fourth season of the after-life comedy, which begins Sept. 26, will be its last. If you haven’t caught on to the surprisingly deep and hilarious sitcom, now is the perfect chance to watch the first three seasons. One of the most thought-provoking comedies on the air, “Good Place” has a wealth of comedic talent (Ted Danson, Kristen Bell and a stunning supporting cast) and a universe of possibilities for its wild storytelling. Four season might be the right amount of “Good Place” for its writers and cast, but no amount of it is ever “Good” enough.
❚ Stream it on Netflix.
If you want to catch up with the Crawleys before they hit the cineplex: ‘Downton Abbey’
Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) and the rest of your “Downton Abbey” favorites are returning Sept. 20 for a revival film (featuring the King and Queen, no less). But before you see what the storied manor looks like on a big screen, now might be the perfect time to re-watch (or catch up on) the six seasons of the British upstairs/ downstairs drama. It’s still witty, heartbreaking and gorgeously costumed four years after it signed off the air on PBS.
❚ Stream it on Amazon.
If you’re planning a big family get-together: ‘The Big Family Cooking Showdown’
If you’re celebrating Labor Day with a cookout or a big family dinner, get some inspiration from this adorable British cooking show. A great series for fans of “The Great British Baking Show,” “Showdown” has three members of a family cooking their wares for professional judges in an incredibly polite competition. The first season is even hosted by “Baking Show” alum Nadiya Hussain. There’s a slight format switchup in Season 2, but in both seasons the show is a celebration of family, heritage, good food and spending time with people you love (and sometimes hate just a little bit).
❚ Stream it on Netflix.
If you’re not ready to concede that summer is over: ‘On Becoming a God in Central Florida’
So far only a few episodes of Showtime’s new Kirsten Dunst-starring series have aired, making it perfect if you want to spend most of this weekend enjoying the outdoors one last time. But as fall sets in, you’ll feel all the heat (and sweat) you need from this Sunshine State-set drama about Krystal Stubbs (Dunst), who worms her way into the upper echelons of a pyramid scheme company, “FAM,” after her husband gets their family inextricably intertwined with them. Dunst gives a fabulous performance, and the show is hilarious and devastating in equal measure.
❚ Stream it on Showtime.
If you’re in full back-to-school mode: ‘PEN15’
There’s no show on television that captures the sheer awkwardness and discomfort of adolescence better than Hulu’s cheekily titled comedy. The series follows adult comedians (Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, who created the series with Sam Zvibleman) who play middle school versions of themselves among a cast of child actors, set in the year 2000.Any millennial will instantly recognize the hallmarks of our chokered and bell-bottomed existence during the early aughts. “PEN15” is a deliciously cringey comedy that will make you glad that your days of lockers, binders and braces are long behind you.
❚ Stream it on Hulu.