Yes, it really is that cold out there, making indoor activities even more alluring than usual this winter. That’s why the Star’s Culture team has put together this list of television shows, old and new, to watch while you stay warm (listed in alphabetical order). So grab that blanket and binge!
1. Adolescence (Netflix)
There’s a reason this limited series was a big winner at the Emmy Awards and the Golden Globes: besides being an impressive technical piece of TV-making — each of the four episodes was filmed in a single take — it fully engages the brain and heart. We follow an ordinary British family (led by series co-creator Stephen Graham) as they go from believing that their 13-year-old son Jamie (Owen Cooper) has been wrongfully arrested to realizing he committed a horrible crime. — Debra Yeo
2. Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials (Netflix)
This stylish adaptation of a story by the grande dame of mysteries boasts an impressive cast, including Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman, and an adaptation by Chris Chibnall (“Broadchurch”). A handsome young government employee is found dead after a house party at an English country estate, and young aristocrat Lady Eileen, a.k.a. Bundle (Mia McKenna-Bruce), decides to investigate, putting herself and others in danger. — D.Y.
3. Death by Lightning (Netflix)
This drama about the assassination of an obscure American president is just four episodes long and includes many scenes of men talking. But when those men are played by the likes of Michael Shannon (as President James Garfield) and Matthew Macfadyen of “Succession” (as his assassin, Charles Guiteau), attention must be paid. Throw in relatable themes of political corruption, distrust in government and gun violence perpetuated by an outsider with a grudge, and you’ve got a captivating drama. — D.Y.
4. Fallout (Prime Video)
For a perverse, ultraviolent post-nuke dystopian survival series led by a noseless zombie gunslinger, “Fallout” sure is fun. Now in its second season on Prime Video, this video-game adaptation starring Walton Goggins and the wonderful Ella Purnell is off to a great start, as the retro-futuristic world-building comes into sharper focus and Kyle MacLachlan brings his potent brand of preppy menace as the new villain. — Doug Brod
5. The Gilded Age (Crave)
This HBO period drama was less than a must-watch in its first outings but really upped its drama quotient in Season 3. It stopped being a dull “Downton Abbey”-in-New-York wannabe and got addictive. Inspired by real-life tales of America’s 19th-century robber barons and their families, Julian Fellowes’ series gives us soap opera-worthy plot twists and rich people behaving badly in to-die-for fashions and sumptuous settings. — D.Y.
6. Heated Rivalry (Crave)
There’s a reason viewers are obsessed with this Canadian series about a gay romance between hockey stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov — and it’s not just the extremely hot sex scenes (but yes, they are sizzling). The likability of and chemistry between the leads — Korean Canadian Hudson Williams and American Connor Storrie, doing a credible Russian accent — really hook you as they navigate their growing affection for each other amid pro hockey homophobia. Long live Hollanov! — D.Y.
7. His & Hers (Netflix)
I’ll say this about Netflix’s latest buzzy mystery miniseries: it’s certainly involving. “His & Hers” is a tawdry Georgia-set whodunit about small-town secrets (including, and not limited to, extreme bullying, crib death, sexual assault, cuckolding and auto-erotic asphyxiation) with an absolutely wild serial-killer reveal. It stars Jon Bernthal, doing his twitchy De Niro-in-“Mean Streets” shtick, and Tessa Thompson, who’s much classier than the material. Even though it features more red herrings than a Communist fish market, at around 40 minutes per episode, the whole thing goes by in a breeze. — D.B.
8. Industry (Crave)
After several years of being criminally underhyped, one of the best shows on TV is back and more ruthless than ever. “Industry” follows the sex-charged and coke-addled finance-world exploits of an ultra-ambitious stock trader, her mentor-slash-nemesis and her on-again-off-again rich BFF. It’s rare for a show to so nimbly juggle soapy drama, big twists, graphic sex, hilarious one-liners and epic burns, workplace intrigue and class warfare. With only eight eps per season, it’s easy to catch up on the first three before delving into the new one. — Briony Smith
9. The Lowdown (Disney Plus)
Ethan Hawke is an absolute hoot as Tulsa reporter/bookshop owner Lee Raybon in this new series by Sterlin Harjo of “Reservation Dogs” fame. Echoes of the Coen brothers abound — particularly in the hero’s Lebowski-isms and the casting of Tim Blake Nelson as a kind of ghostly narrator. The show doesn’t stint on graphic violence as Raybon tries to uncover a conspiracy of white supremacists, but its playful tone and sharp, funny dialogue make it a true pleasure. — D.B.
10. The Night Manager (Prime Video)
Remember 2016, when this John le Carré adaptation debuted and excited critics and viewers alike? It’s back with a long-delayed second season, with Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as spy Jonathan Pine. This time, the show goes off book, with the action taking place partly in Colombia, and Diego Calva (“Narcos: Mexico”) and Camila Morrone (“Daisy Jones & the Six”) joining the cast. Only four new episodes are streaming so far, but all six of Season 1 are available. — D.Y.
11. North of North (CBC Gem, APTN Plus, Netflix)
It may seem counterintuitive to recommend a show set in a cold climate, but this Nunavut-set comedy is so charming it will warm you up on the inside. The luminous Anna Lambe plays Siaja, a young Inuk wife and mother trying to find herself despite pushback from her close-knit northern neighbours. It’s funny, a bit messy and will expand your view of the North and its people. Season 2 just started production, but Season 1 is easily bingeable. — D.Y.
12. Percy Jackson & The Olympians (Disney Plus)
This adaptation of Rick Riordan’s novel series, a coming-of-age story about a young demigod who must save Mount Olympus from the re-emerging Titan gods, is epic in every sense of the word. Created by Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, the TV series, which just concluded its second season, is mostly faithful to the books while building out its mythical world to stunning effect. And at its centre is a star-making performance from 17-year-old Walker Scobell. — Joshua Chong
13. The Pitt (Crave)
This medical drama, which scooped up five Emmys and two Golden Globes, is back for a second season that replicates the first’s conceit of following a single 15-hour shift, this time over the 4th of July weekend. It has maintained its winning mix of there-but-for-the-grace-of-God cases with humanizing glimpses of the lives of the hospital staff, led by Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) and charge nurse Dana (Katherine LaNasa). TV viewer, heal thyself. — D.Y.
14. Pluribus (Apple TV Plus)
All the hallmarks of a Vince Gilligan masterpiece are here: strikingly precise visuals, careful characterization, deliberate, unhurried plotting. But Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”) turns his talents to science fiction as almost all of humanity is subsumed in an alien hive mind. Rhea Seehorn — whose recent Golden Globe win was thrilling for “Better Call Saul” fans — is the MVP as a woman who’s immune from the alien RNA and is trying to restore the world to its messy imperfection. — D.Y.
15. Ponies (StackTV)
We’ve been inundated with spy shows for a while. What makes this new one delightful are its leads: widows-turned-operatives Beatrice and Twila, portrayed with verve and wit by Emilia Clarke of “Game of Thrones” and Haley Lu Richardson of “The White Lotus.” The women are parachuted into 1970s Moscow, where it’s hoped their gender — and hence their status as “persons of no interest,” the ponies of the title — will make them invisible to the KGB. — D.Y.
16. Riot Women (BritBox)
“You ever feel like you’re living in an alternate universe where women of a certain age become invisible?” This West Yorkshire-set dramedy showcases what happens when five older gals who are over their erasure reclaim their voices by starting a punk band. “Happy Valley” creator Sally Wainwright deftly navigates not only partner problems, aging parents, unruly kids and annoying jobs, but the transcendent bliss on tap when you build community — and start belting out bangers. — B.S.
17. Slaycation (Crave)
Who knew that one of the best “RuPaul’s Drag Race” franchise extensions would be a low-budget Canadian offshoot? The six-episode seasons feature fan favourites from across the Ru-niverse living together in a mountain chalet, completing strange challenges and, of course, fighting constantly. In the newly dropped Season 2, the conflicts seem deliciously real, the challenges as unhinged as ever and the winter fits are fun. — B.S.
18. Somebody Somewhere (Crave)
Despite widespread critical acclaim and a supporting actor win for Jeff Hiller at last year’s Emmys, HBO’s small-town dramedy has never found the love it truly deserves. And that’s a shame, because this tale of a middle-aged woman (Bridget Everett) who returns to her Kansas roots after the sudden death of her sister is one of television’s most rewarding stories of grief, friendship and personal renewal against all odds. — David Friend
19. The Studio (Apple TV Plus)
This deft comedy, co-created by Canadians Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, adroitly walks the line between satire and homage, making good-natured fun of the movie business. Rogen is at his best as studio head Matt Remick: trying to reconcile his genuine love of cinematic art with his need to make as much money as possible, often from unoriginal crap. Clever, witty and larded with A-list cameos, “The Studio” nailed the assignment. — D.Y.
20. Succession
Heavily inspired by the familial conflicts of the Murdoch family of Fox News fame, “Succession” follows Roy siblings Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan (Sarah Snook), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Connor (Alan Ruck) as they vie for daddy Logan’s attention and empire (Brian Cox). Racking up a smorgasbord of major awards over its four seasons, this Shakespearean drama of disgustingly rich and intensely maladjusted individuals will leave you with a newfound appreciation for your own family. — Savannah Ridley
