Simone Reddington

At this point in the lockdown, most of us should be getting used to entertaining ourselves at home and for a lot of people (myself included), that means watching a lot more TV than we normally would. I firmly believe in the importance of our imagination, and I think the arts- such as drama, television, literature, and music etc are vital to our society. While our normal lives are currently on hold, it does feel good to temporarily distract ourselves from what is happening outside our homes and visualise a world where coronavirus isn’t a thing. I’ve complied a list of the best TV programmes that I’ve watched since lockdown started. All are available on Netflix, BBC iPlayer or 4OD so you don’t need to pay a fortune for some expensive Sky bundle, or risk putting any viruses on your laptop as you stream something off an illegal website.

Waterloo Road (BBC iPlayer)

If you’re around my age (i.e a 90s baby), then you will probably remember when everyone used to be obsessed with this school based drama when were younger. It’s perfect nostalgia TV for watching when you’re feeling a bit shit during lock-down. I used to love watching it when I was a teenager as the characters were a lot more exciting than the teachers had much more dramatic and exciting personal lives than any real-life teachers who taught me. Re-watching it nearly a decade later as an adult (I felt horribly old while writing that sentence) will make you smile as you realise you’ve grown up and can make better decisions regarding both your personal life and your wardrobe than you did in 2010. Watching the crazy lives of ordinary people, and feeling uplifted when they resolve the situation at the end of the day, makes you feel a bit better when you’re having one of those days. It even makes me slightly miss the chaos of our old routines before social distancing.

Also, teenagers vomiting after too much Glens vodka and the not very-stylish work uniforms that teachers wore in the late noughties doesn’t make the most glamorous TV, so it isn’t as bad for your self-esteem when you’ve been wearing the same joggers for a fortnight.

Derry Girls (4OD)

Both series are very short, so you can binge-watch both in one sitting. Its a sitcom that follows a group of teenagers growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The characters are hilarious, feisty and easy to relate to. The humour is easy to get and doesn’t feel forced. Its also very moving in some points, as it shows how in what was a very tense and politically charged period in Northern Irish history, people still laughed with their friends, argued with their families and got excited for the little things in life.

The Crown (Netflix)

I actually watched this historical drama just before lockdown officially started, in that weird week when all the pubs started to close and Boris’ daily announcements were still weirdly exciting. It’s about the Queen’s earlier years of her reign, starting from her marriage to Prince Philip and the latest series finishes in the 1970s. It’s very interesting as it tackles a lot of the key moments in modern British history and how the Royal family responded to them. It doesn’t glorify the monarchy, as it portrays a much less savoury side to their characters than what we were taught in history at school.

Killing Eve (BBC iPlayer)

This is arguably the most watched programme on TV at the moment and if you’re one of the few people who hasn’t watched it yet, then you’re missing out. It’s essentially a cat and mouse game between a female assassin and a MI5 agent who is supposed to track her down and bring her to justice, and they become obsessed with with each other. It has a very original plot, with plenty of twists and turns, and the acting is brilliant. It’s perfect escapism as we can plan our 2021 holidays by watching Villainelle travel to stunning destinations around the world, wearing the most amazing outfits (hopefully without committing any murders).

Glow Up (BBC iPlayer)

This is the most surprising TV gem that I’ve enjoyed watching during lockdown. I’m not normally a fan of reality TV and I’ll be the first to admit that my knowledge and skills on make-up are very basic, but I watched the first episode after the girl who did my make-up for my graduation ceremony posted on Instagram that she was taking part, and now I’m obsessed. It’s basically the Great British Bake Off but for make-up artists as the contestants are set weekly tasks and compete against each other to impress the judges, who send one of them home every week. It’s good to watch as the make-up artists are all very professional about their craft and prove that make-up is a real skill. There’s no egos or humiliation, as the judges are honest but offer constructive criticism. Eve (who did my make-up) is doing fantastic but they’re all very talented and each offer something different to the competition so it’ll be very interesting to see who wins. Watching the show actually inspired me to pull off a bold purple eye-shadow look for a shopping trip to ASDA. Oh, the excitement of life in lockdown!

Kathy Burke’s All Woman (4OD)

I’d never actually heard of Kathy Burke before watching her documentary series that aired last year, but what a wonderful lady she is. In the three part series she looks at issues that are traditionally associated with femininity (beauty, motherhood and relationships), and looks at the role that they play in modern women’s lives in 21st century Britain. Kathy isn’t afraid to express her own opinions, in a refreshingly funny and honest way. She also interviews other women, whom she encourages to share their experiences regarding the themes. Fantastic female empowerment.

Dear White People (Netflix)

I’m currently watching this Netflix original series as part of the project that I have set myself in order to educate myself about racism, following the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement (see my earlier blogpost). Obviously there are a lot more factual and informative resources about the issues that people of colour face but this comedy-drama is a good way at looking at how racism and white supremacy affects black people in their day to day lives. It follows a group of black students at a prominently white American university as they speak up about the race issues on the campus and in the outside world on a college radio station called ‘Dear White People’. Its incredibly relevant to what is happening in the news right now, and it invites the viewer to think about our actions. The characters are brilliant and make me feel guilty for not working harder in university, instead of lying in bed eating biscuits while hungover.