Most binge-worthy TV shows to obsess over

Need something new to watch? We’ve listed the 10 most binge-worthy series’ to set you up for a weekend on the couch.

Reasons why we love 2019: Binge watching has become a way of life.

While we lament minors for burying their heads in iPhones, screen time among us adults is encouraged.

The dilemma is, it doesn’t take long to run out of episodes of our latest show and so begins the agonising search for a new one to obsess over.

That’s not easy when there’s countless streaming services and hit series’ demanding our attention.

From older gold to new sensations, we’ve rounded out the top 10 most binge worthy shows ever, based on the criteria of struggling to press pause, even for a snack run.

SUCCESSION

Where to watch: Foxtel Now

Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin in a scene from Succession. Picture: Foxtel

Of all the shows that are flagged as the new Game of Thrones, Succession actually lives up to the honour. The HBO series is dubbed by many seasoned critics as the best show on TV right now, and that ain’t hype.

The wicked drama follows the Roys, a billionaire family who own a powerful media empire. They’re as privileged and ruthless as you imagine. There are two seasons with 20 episodes each and be warned, you won’t leave the living room until you’ve binged them all.

YOU

Where to watch: Netflix

Penn Badgley and Elizabeth Lail star in the Netflix series 'You'.

Come December 26, Netflix is finally dropping season two of You, a psychological thriller about a stage five clinger who’s really good at hiding the fact he’s a creep. Before that happens, you’ve got plenty of time to race through the first season, which only has 10 one hour episodes.

It stars Penn Badgley, aka Dan Humphrey, as Joe, and honestly it’s about as creepy as TV gets, showing the lengths people are willing to go to for love. Hint, there are no limits to the lengths Joe will go to.

GAME OF THRONES

Where to watch: Foxtel Now

Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. Picture: HBO

Of course this has to make every list until the end of time. We’ve cheated a bit here, as it’s not an easy one to binge. Pretty much every episode across the eight seasons is packed with complex storylines and bloody savagery, but GoT is considered one of the most popular shows of all time and it’s very hard to pry yourself away from the TV once you start watching. Don’t get your hopes up too much for the finale, which was hugely panned, but the journey in the lead up is truly something else. And, there are dragons.

FLEABAG

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag.

In case you missed the Emmys this year, Fleabag was the big dark horse winner. The show is side-splitting funny, led by British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Time commitment is easy, there’s only two seasons with 12 episodes each.

We follow a Londoner (Waller-Bridge) dealing with the death of her best friend, a nightmare family, running a business and disastrous relationships. It’s beloved for it’s vulgar sexual humour and hopelessly relatable characters.

PEAKY BLINDERS

Where to watch: Netflix

Swoon. Picture: Supplied

What’s a binge sesh without a bit of crime action. As per the title, criminal gang the Peaky Blinders build an underworld syndicate in Birmingham in post-World War 1919 (based loosely on the real 19th century gang).

Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) – head of the Shelby family – is reason enough to tune in to this borderline Tarantino-style gangster epic, as the group works to expand its influence. While it has a mass following and slew of awards, Peaky Blinders is still underrated for how compelling it is.

UPRIGHT

Where to watch: Foxtel Now

Tim Minchin and Milly Alcock in a scene from the TV series Upright. Picture: Foxtel

This doesn’t hit streaming until December 1, but we’ve had the privilege of seeing it early and can confirm it’s bloody brilliant. Veteran Hollywood writer and director Joss Whedon tweeted a rave review about the Foxtel produced series, saying it was his “favourite” since Fleabag.

Hilarious but with heart, Upright stars comedian Tim Minchin as his character Lucky embarks on a journey through the Australian outback, forming an unlikely friendship along the way. It only has eight episodes which run for half an hour, so it’s an easy binge.

THE HANDMAID’S TALE

Where to watch: Stan

Ann Dowd in a scene from Season 3 of The Handmaid's Tale.

Truly haunting viewing, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale is set in the future in a dystopia, where female “handmaids” are forced to have sex so they can combat declining fertility rates. It’s very much a man’s world, showing horrific abuse of women whose lives are dictated by corrupt men in elite positions.

There is one extremely confronting scene where a woman is mutilated for being gay. It’s chilling but a necessary message driver. The first season only has 10 episodes, while two and three have 13.

CHERNOBYL

Where to watch: Foxtel Now

Chernobyl is the highest rating show ever on IMDb.

Chernobyl surged out of nowhere and became the breakout binge hit of the year. The six-part HBO miniseries is based on the real-life events of the catastrophic nuclear disaster in northern Ukrainian SSR in 1986. It became the highest rating show ever on IMDB only weeks after it hit streaming, and it’s easy to see why.

Be warned, it’s seriously heavy stuff, depicting the gruesome fallout of the incident as the Soviet Union government desperately tries to hide the truth of the catastrophe. The final episode will have you on the edge of your seat, and pique a sudden interest in physics.

GOSSIP GIRL

Where to watch: Netflix

The ridiculously attractive cast of Gossip Girl.

Call me lame, but Gossip Girl is as bingey as shows come. To quote the narrator, welcome to the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite.

Blake Lively is the show’s muse as Serena van der Woodsen, leading the cast in this six season drama which profiles a group of gorgeous teens born into uber wealth and privilege, living their best lives on the Upper East Side while the unidentified “Gossip Girl” publishes their every move on its website. Sex, betrayal and private jets, it’s tantalising TV.

BIG LITTLE LIES

Where to watch: Foxtel Now

The Monterey five.

Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley and Zoe Kravitz … That is some all-star cast. Big Little Lies cleaned up at the 2017 Emmys and Golden Globes, the seven-episode first season earning praise and making ground for being led largely by women, both on screen and behind the scenes.

Set in Monterey, California, the HBO series is a peek behind the curtain of the brutal realities of glossy women who seem to have it all. Like any great show, it ends on a giant cliffhanger and sets us up for an equally satisfying second go with season two.