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’Tis the season to wear pyjamas all day and go square-eyed. Ellie Walker-Arnott picks the most bingeworthy TV shows of 2017 (and what to eat while you’re watching them)
‘Stranger Things 2’
When Will started coughing up slugs at the end of season one, we were left with many questions, but it was pretty clear Hawkins’s brush with the Upside Down wasn’t over. Mike, Dustin, Lucas and co return in nine more episodes of ’80s nostalgia and sci-fi scares. Watch out for school discos, otherworldly pets, great hair advice, ace escape sequences and the promise of Justice for Barb. #Spoilers: Eleven is back and still completely awesome, and we’re Team Steve all the way these days. Stream on Netflix.
In one go? Fourteen hours and 10 minutes (both seasons).
Serving suggestion: Eggos, obvs. Or if you can’t get your mitts on them, take it up a notch with Bird’s chicken and waffles, drizzled with honey butter and Canadian maple syrup. Definitely Eleven’s dream dish. Available on UberEats and Deliveroo.
‘The Crown’
Ditch the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day and binge on Claire Foy and Matt Smith as Liz and Phil in this high-budget Netflix super-series about the British monarchy. Season one took us from their marriage in 1947 to the mid-1950s, charting the death of King George VI, the decline of Churchill and the personal conflicts the young queen faced. Her Maj returned for a second season of royal drama last week. It might sound like a GCSE history lesson, but it’s much more addictive. Stream on Netflix.
In one go? Nineteen hours and 20 minutes (both seasons).
Serving suggestion: Have royally good afternoon tea with B Bakery’s takeaway selection of little cucumber sandwiches, mini cakes and scones with clotted cream and jam. B Bakery. 6-7 Chandos Place, WC2N 4HU. Tube: Leicester Square. Order online on their website.
‘Master of None’
Aziz Ansari’s acclaimed comedy drama will make you feel better about the shitshow that is dating in London. It follows Dev, a New York-based actor looking for love, better work and, in season two, great pasta. It’s basically an ultra-relatable, food-focused romcom. The carbtastic second season was one of the most talked-about shows of 2017. Digest while you recover from the excesses of Christmas lunch. Stream on Netflix.
In one go? Twenty hours (both seasons).
Serving suggestion Burro e Salvia’s tagliatelle with bolognese ragù will hit the spot nicely. The ‘cook it at home’ option involves more effort but your pasta will be fresh. Dev would approve. Available on Deliveroo.
‘Game of Thrones’
Just one more season remains before we find out how George RR Martin’s protracted power struggle concludes. Now’s the time to get the hell up to speed before season eight. The pieces are all in place for a grand finale, the action is icier than ever, and, as usual, not even the key players are safe from those bloody plot twists. Even if you’ve already seen ‘Game of Thrones’, watch it again. Nothing will make your family dramas seem more trivial than witnessing a certain brooding northerner make out with his aunt. Watch on Now TV or buy on Amazon or iTunes.
In one go? Two days, 18 hours and 59 minutes (or 7 hours and 22 minutes for just season seven).
Serving suggestion: A venison pie with mash and gravy from Piebury Corner. Round things off with a slice of lemon drizzle cake from Primrose Bakery, Sansa-style. Available on Deliveroo.
‘Glow’
Don those mom jeans and crimp your hair. Netflix’s ‘Glow’ is a joyful ’80s-set caper about the world of professional women’s wrestling. Alison Brie plays Ruth, an out-of-luck actor who takes a job in new TV concept ‘Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling’ because she’s sick of playing non-speaking secretary roles. The result is an awful lot of high-legged lycra, extravagant scripts and flamboyant alter-egos, as well as kick-ass, empowering female friendships. You’ll be fighting the urge to do a flying thrust kick off the sofa by the end. Kapow! Stream on Netflix.
In one go? Five hours and 50 minutes.
Serving suggestion: A hefty, seriously stuffed, protein-filled wedge from Max’s Sandwich Shop. Gotta keep your energy up! Available on Deliveroo.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
End 2017 with a full working day’s worth of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, Hulu’s award-winning adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s prophetic 1985 novel. It’s about a future America run by right-wing fundamentalists who have overthrown the government. Women lose their rights and financial independence, and those who can bear children are forced into reproductive slavery. Elisabeth Moss is Offred, a red caped, white hooded handmaid to Joseph Fiennes’s Commander in the troubling ten-parter. It’s depressing and startling, but stick with it. Buy on Amazon or iTunes. Stream episodes 8-10 free on All 4.
In one go? Eight hours and 33 minutes.
Serving suggestion: Fruit, blessed be it. Even better if it’s in the form of Udderlicious’s vivid wild cherry sorbet. You’re going to need comfort food. Available on Deliveroo.
‘The Sinner’
You won’t be sitting comfortably during this tricky US ‘whydunnit’. Jessica Biel is Cora Tannetti, a young mum who, during a hot day at the beach with her toddler and husband, savagely and publicly stabs a stranger to death, seemingly without motive. When, blood-splattered in custody, Cora can offer no explanation for her murderous actions, Detective Harry Ambrose (Bill Pullman) sets about trying to uncover a motive. It’s unsettling stuff, the kind of thriller that plays on your mind hours after. Stream on Netflix.
In one go? Five hours and 38 minutes.
Serving suggestion: Embrace your inner glutton with a sinfully wicked box of doughy delights from Crosstown Doughnuts. Available on UberEats and Deliveroo.
‘Big Little Lies’
Swap central heating for the Californian coast. HBO’s glossy series premiered in early 2017 to rave reviews, and for good reason. While Monterey moms do the school run and bitch over morning coffee, we’re drip-fed information about a serious crime. Someone’s going to end up dead by the end, but who, and why? It’s a captivating study of friendship, parenting and domestic violence. And it’s got an impressive female cast playing complex women: Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley and Zoë Kravitz. You don’t often see a rollcall that good. Buy on Amazon or iTunes.
In one go? Five hours and 56 minutes.
Serving suggestion: Get a taste of West Coast #cleaneating with Farm Girl’s vegan and gluten-free blue jack tacos – blue corn tortillas stuffed with pulled jackfruit, pineapple, guacamole and egg-free mayo. Available on Deliveroo.
Disclaimer: Food delivery options are subject to where you are in London
Once you're all caught up on TV, work your way through the best films of 2017.
Hungry for more? Sink your teeth into London's best dishes.