Great TV Shows to Watch Over the Holidays

Catch Up on Great TV During Your Holiday Time Off

One of the best parts of the holidays is the fact that we generally get to spend more time with the people we care about. That being said, there is also some more down-time, particularly after Christmas and before New Year’s Eve. Why not take advantage of that time off to catch up on some great, binge worthy TV? Here are some recommendations of great TV shows to watch that I think you’ll love.

Great TV Shows to Watch Over the Holiday

Derry Girls

A British teen drama surrounding the Troubles in 1990s Northern Ireland, Derry Girls is three seasons of ridiculously hilarious quips and situational comedy paired with moments of poignant humanity. Of all the shows to watch in this list, Derry Girls is probably the most bingable. Bonus points for those of us who survived Catholic school, because there are so many nostalgic moments in the series surrounding that whole world. Screenwriter Lisa McGee, who you might know from her work on The White Queen, brought her personal experience and knowledge to the series, adding a level of authenticity rarely seen in such quippy series. Between social commentary and the accurate portrayal of “how truly fucking stupid teenagers are,” Derry Girls has me wishing there were 10 more seasons of the show.

Plus, the soundtrack and 90s nostalgia is totally cracker.

Check out my Derry Girls board on Pinterest here!

Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls is one of my go-to fan and winter shows, and the entire series is now on Netflix. The iconic series follows Lorelai Gilmore, an independent single mom, as she raises her Ivy League-bound daughter, Rory. Quick wit and banter ensue, along with lots of family drama, feel-good moments, and coffee. Lots of coffee.

Check out my Gilmore Girls board on Pinterest here!

Outlander

Ok, this is probably not a surprise coming from me for this shows to watch guide; I’m a huge Outlander fan. I could not have a great tv shows list without it. Between the fact that it’s one of my favorite shows, and the fact that season five comes out in February, how could I help but recommend it?

If you’re looking for a period drama that marries history, fiction, and time travel, then Outlander is the show for you. It is a bit of a time commitment, but I honestly believe once you get hooked on season one, you won’t want to stop. Each season is so distinct, that it makes for a really unique viewing experience. Season one is, unsurprisingly, the most quintessentially Outlander, as it takes place entirely in Scotland. After that, the setting varies a bit. Season two has amazing gowns, so if historical costuming is your thing, it’ll probably be your favorite.

Want some more info on the series before you get started on it? I wrote a guide to frequently asked Outlander questions here.

Check out my Outlander board on Pinterest here!

The Durrells in Corfu

If you’re looking for a heartwarming post-war family tale featuring comical teenage angst, animals, and a welcome dose of whimsy, then The Durrells in Corfu is a great option amongst these shows to watch. This show follows the Durrells — Louisa, the widowed mother, and her four children (three sons, one daughter) — a British family who moves to Corfu, Greece after World War I. Unsurprisingly, comedy and chaos ensues, since the Durrell children had varying levels of interest in moving and no one speaks the language once they get there. The eldest Durrell son, Larry, is an aspiring writer played by Josh O’Connor, who just so happens to play Prince Charles in season three of The Crown.

It’s hard to say which of the Durrells are my favorite. Larry’s character is great, but so is the youngest son, Gerry, an aspiring naturalist who seeks to rehabilitate pretty much any animal that crosses his path. Margot, the middle child and only daughter, delivers one-liners with such ease that I think she may have to be my favorite. Regardless, the whole cast is great, the show is sweet, smartly written and funny, and the production is rather impressive. I highly recommend it.

Oh, and the best part: the show is based on books by Gerald Durrell — that is, Gerry! The books are on my to-be-read list, for sure.

New Girl

Kind of along the lines of Gilmore Girls, New Girl is just a great feel-good show. With seven seasons of 30-minute episodes to watch, it is also supremely bingable. There are a number of great holiday episodes to watch if you want to stay on theme this holiday season. Of these, my favorite is season 2 episode 11 (“Santa”) where the group attempts to attend multiple parties in a single night – one of my favorite episodes of all the shows to watch here!

Check out my New Girl board on Pinterest here!

Good Omens

I recently got into Good Omens, a 2019 series featuring David Tennant and Michael Sheen as a demon and angel duo trying to stop armageddon:

The End of the World is coming, which means a fussy Angel and a loose-living Demon who’ve become overly fond of life on Earth are forced to form an unlikely alliance to stop Armageddon. But they have lost the Antichrist, an 11-year-old boy unaware he’s meant to bring upon the end of days, forcing them to embark on an adventure to find him and save the world before it’s too late.

It’s a shorter series and really well done; super easy to get into right from the start. There’s a new season out this year, as well, so there’s even more witty banter to go around! It’s based on a book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, which I think I’ll pick up once I finish the series.

Schitt’s Creek

Schitt’s Creek is just such a gem of a show! It is one of my go-to comfort shows, for sure, and only gets better on the re-watch, so it has to be included in this guide of shows to watch this holiday season. The series follows the Rose family on a riches-to-rags arc after they lost all their movie rental business riches and move to the tiny town of Schitt’s Creek. The main four characters — the Roses — start the show as…not the best people, but throughout the series, they grow into their humanity. The one-liners and banter is impeccable, as well, so get ready to laugh as David and Moira try to fold in the cheese….

Check out my Schitt’s Creek board on Pinterest here!

VEEP

While it may not be the best course of action to bring up politics at the holiday dinner table, I would argue that Veep is a great way to decompress after the holidays. I’ve been saving the last season of this show — it’s one of my favorites, and I was so sad to see it end — and will probably binge that over the break.

Veep is witty and fast-paced, circling the proverbial vice-president-not-president Selena Meyer, played by the amazing Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Between Selena, Amy (her right-hand woman), Gary (“bag man” and assistant), Mike (her somewhat competent speechwriter), and Dan (her advisor/opportunist staffer), the cast will leave you in stitches.


Looking for more great shows to watch?
Explore show round-ups, book reviews, and more here!

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*This post was originally published on December 23, 2020. It was most recently updated on December 18, 2023.