Best TV shows you can binge-watch in a weekend

- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- On air: 2022-present
- Total runtime: 15 hours and 26 minutes
- Where to watch: Apple TV+

Directed by Ben Stiller and featuring an ensemble cast including Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, and John Turturro, "Severance" is a sci-fi psychological thriller about an office worker who uncovers a deep conspiracy at his workplace, where employees' memories are controlled. When workers are at the office, they have no memory of their personal lives, and when they leave the building, they have no memory of how they spent their day—essentially creating two separate identities. The series received 14 Emmy nominations, winning two awards. 

It's as good a time as any to add "Severance" to your watch list, since you'll now have two thrilling seasons to watch. The extended Season 2 finale airs on Apple TV+ on March 21, 2025.

- IMDb user rating: 8.7
- On air: 2023-present
- Total runtime: 7 hours and 30 minutes
- Where to watch: Max, Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, Microsoft

An adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game, "The Last of Us'' stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who play two survivors of a post-apocalyptic society wiped away by a pandemic caused by a fungal infection. The series had high viewership and is critically acclaimed for its acting, writing, and depiction of LGBTQ+ characters. The HBO show garnered 24 Emmys nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, and took home eight awards. Its second season premieres in April 2025, so you have a few months to catch up on its debut season.

- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- On air: 2002
- Total runtime: 4 hours 17 minutes
- Where to watch: Play On TV

"The Century of the Self" is a docuseries exploring the rise of psychoanalysis in the 20th century. It focuses on how the work of Sigmund and Anna Freud and public relations pioneer Edward Bernays has contributed to rising power for those in the public eye, especially in governments and corporations.

- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- On air: 1976
- Total runtime: 11 hours 9 minutes
- Where to watch: AcornTV, Hoopla, Prime Video, Apple TV, Google TV, Apple TV, and YouTube

This miniseries is a family epic set in the Roman Empire, following the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The show's basis is the popular 1934 historical novel by Robert Graves, framed like a first-person "autobiography" of Roman Emperor Claudius. With complex characters and high-quality writing, critics consider "I, Claudius" influential in elevating basic cable to what would eventually become HBO's prestige TV in the 2000s.

- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- On air: 1985
- Total runtime: 4 hours 53 minutes
- Where to watch: Hulu, Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, Google TV, YouTube

Originally released as a 1981 film by German director Wolfgang Peterson, "Das Boot" captures the life of a young crew manning a U-boat during World War II. A version with additional footage aired as a miniseries in 1985. The film is considered one of the best war films ever made. The series went on to win two Golden Camera awards, along with the 1985 Emmy for Best Drama.

- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- On air: 1995
- Total runtime: 5 hours 27 minutes
- Where to watch: Hulu, Roku, Tubi, BritBox, Hallmark Movies Now, Prime Video, Apple TV, Google TV, Microsoft, Vudu, and YouTube

Based on the classic 19th-century Jane Austen novel, the 1995 miniseries version of "Pride and Prejudice" starred Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle and follows the classic love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The series was extraordinarily successful in Britain, with BBC claiming that it sold 100,000 box sets before the series even ended and had 10 million people tuning in to watch the final episode.

- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- On air: 2019
- Total runtime: 4 hours 56 minutes
- Where to watch: Netflix

Directed by Ava DuVernay, "When They See Us" is an emotional adaptation of the true story of a group of teenagers who were wrongly accused of murdering a jogger in Central Park in 1989. The miniseries—which garnered views from more than 23 million Netflix accounts in the first month it streamed—went on to receive nominations for 16 Emmys, winning awards for Outstanding Lead Actor for Jharrel Jerome's performance, as well as Outstanding Casting.

- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- On air: 1999-2000
- Total runtime: 13 hours 19 minutes
- Where to watch: Prime Video, Paramount+, Roku, Hulu, PlutoTV, Apple TV, Vudu

From creator Paul Feig and executive producer Judd Apatow, "Freaks and Geeks" starred Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, Seth Rogen, and James Franco, all before the peak of their fame. The comedy-drama is set in 1980s Detroit and follows a nerdy high school student who starts hanging out with a bunch of stoners—the eponymous "freaks." Widely regarded as a cult classic, the show gave many of its stars their start in the industry.

- IMDb user rating: 8.9
- On air: 2006-2007
- Total runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
- Where to watch: Prime Video, Hoopla, Crunchyroll Premium, Hulu, Freevee, Netflix, Peacock, PlutoTV, Roku, Tubi, Apple TV, Vudu, Google TV, Microsoft, YouTube

"Death Note" is an anime thriller based on a highly popular manga of the same name. The 37-episode show follows high school student Light Yagami, who quests to save the world from evil after realizing he possesses a magical notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. The series caused a controversy in China, which tried to ban it after students wrote names in their own "Death Note"-inspired notebooks. Nevertheless, the show won Best TV Anime Series at the 6th Annual Tokyo Anime Awards.

- IMDb user rating: 9
- On air: 2007
- Total runtime: 14 hours 34 minutes
- Where to watch: PBS, Prime Video, Google TV, Vudu, Apple TV, YouTube

This seven-part docuseries by celebrated documentarian Ken Burns chronicles the many ways World War II affected Americans and their communities. The series was critically acclaimed and was called a "masterpiece" by Reuters. Nominated for seven Emmys, it went on to win three, including one for its narrator, actor Keith David.

- IMDb user rating: 9
- On air: 1990
- Total runtime: 11 hours 20 minutes
- Where to watch: PBS, Prime Video, Google TV, Vudu, Apple TV, YouTube, Microsoft

Another work from Ken Burns, "The Civil War" is a sweeping, nine-part docuseries chronicling a definitive and in-depth history of the American Civil War. When the series first aired on PBS in 1990, it drew in 40 million viewers, breaking records for the station. It went on to win 40 major film and TV awards, including two Emmys.

- IMDb user rating: 9
- On air: 2021
- Total runtime: 7 hours 48 minutes
- Where to watch: Disney+

"The Beatles: Get Back" is a three-part documentary series chronicling the weeks in January 1969 in which the band wrote and recorded 14 new songs in preparation for a television special, culminating in the famous rooftop concert. Directed by Peter Jackson, who called the project "a documentary about a documentary," the docuseries largely uses restored footage from the original recording sessions. The docuseries was praised for its immersion and went on to win five Emmys.

- IMDb user rating: 9
- On air: 2021-2024
- Total runtime: 12 hours 30 minutes
- Where to watch: Netflix

Two sisters go to battle in this fantasy steampunk animated series starring Hailee Steinfeld and Katie Leung. Based on Riot Games' "League of Legends," "Arcane" set the record for Netflix's highest-rated show within a week of its premiere. It's widely beloved, with an audience score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes; the series' second and final season earned equally positive reviews after releasing over the course of three weekends in November 2024.

- IMDb user rating: 9
- On air: 2002-2003
- Total runtime: 10 hours 16 minutes
- Where to watch: Hulu, Prime Video, Google TV, Apple TV, Microsoft, Vudu, and YouTube

After its cancellation in 2003, "Firefly" has gone on to become a cult favorite series despite running for only one season. Created by Joss Whedon of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the show is a space Western set 500 years in the future and follows a crew aboard a small spacecraft as they explore the galaxy. The show had a brief continuation with a theatrical film called "Serenity" in 2005.

- IMDb user rating: 9.1
- On air: 1995-1996
- Total runtime: 10 hours
- Where to watch: Play On TV

"The Beatles Anthology" is a nine-episode docuseries chronicling the entire band's career from 1940 to 1968 and on. The series includes demos, archival footage, and interviews from the then-three remaining band members. At the time of its release, the docuseries was seen as a bit of an unorganized and overwhelming media event, but it's now considered to be a valuable piece of media that was ahead of its time.

- IMDb user rating: 9.1
- On air: 2017
- Total runtime: 16 hours 30 minutes
- Where to watch: Prime Video, Google TV, PBS, Hoopla, YouTube, Microsoft, Apple TV, Vudu

A 10-part documentary series from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, "The Vietnam War'' presents first-hand accounts from nearly 80 people involved in the war, including American soldiers, anti-war protesters, and Vietnamese soldiers and civilians. The docuseries was critically acclaimed for its intelligence and emotional resonance. It went on to be nominated for four Emmy Awards, including for writing and directing.

- IMDb user rating: 9.1
- On air: 2020
- Total runtime: 8 hours 11 minutes
- Where to watch: Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, Vudu

"The Last Dance" takes on one of America's most beloved figures in sports: Michael Jordan. Tracking the rise of the 1990 Chicago Bulls, focusing on the team's critical 1997-1998 season, the docuseries was praised for its high-profile interviews and a vast array of engaging archival footage.

- IMDb user rating: 9.1
- On air: 2010-2017
- Total runtime: 18 hours
- Where to watch: Britbox, Philo, Roku, Prime Video, Apple TV, Google TV, Vudu, Microsoft, YouTube

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, "Sherlock" is a contemporary telling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved Sherlock Holmes character, taking place in modern-day London. The third season of the British crime drama series was the most-watched BBC drama in a decade, and the show has accumulated a slew of nominations and awards, including several Emmys and BAFTAs.

- IMDb user rating: 9.3
- On air: 2019
- Total runtime: 5 hours 30 minutes
- Where to watch: Max, Google TV, YouTube, Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube

Starring Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard, and Emily Watson, "Chernobyl" is a miniseries dramatizing the 1986 nuclear disaster suffered by the Soviet Union. The five-part show tells both the story of the events leading up to the accident as well as the stories of those involved in the cleanup and how it affected their lives. Nominated for 19 Emmy Awards, it went on to win 10, including Outstanding Limited Series.

- IMDb user rating: 9.4
- On air: 2001
- Total runtime: 9 hours 54 minutes
- Where to watch: Max, Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Google TV, Microsoft, Vudu, YouTube

Created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, "Band of Brothers" is a war drama following the real-life "Easy" E Company, the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division stationed in Europe during World War II, from 1942 to the end of the war. Based on Stephen Ambrose's 1992 nonfiction book of the same name, the 10-part series is critically acclaimed and is said to be an even more incredible war story than Spielberg's own "Saving Private Ryan." The series went on to be nominated for 20 Emmys and three Golden Globes, winning seven and one, respectively.

Story editing by Chris Compendio. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.