Let’s be honest, the creation of new streaming platforms every five minutes means that the next thing to watch is deciding what to watch next is a full-time job. The scrolling, the trailers, the ever-growing “maybe later” list is enough to make you want to go straight to the couch. That’s the point where I step in to help. I have done the digging, the skipping, the midnight “just one more episode” marathons, and put together a list of the ten hottest shows to watch right now. Get yourself a snack, put yourself on the couch, and let’s count them down from ten to one because who hasn’t been hurt a little by a bit of suspense before?.
10. Overcompensating
Have you ever needed a dirty, honest, and sharp college comedy? Well, Overcompensating has it all. Benito Skinner plays the role of Benny, a freshman football player who is hiding a big secret while at the same time trying to keep up with the chaos of the campus world. It’s awkward, loud, unapologetic, and packed with sarcastic humor that makes you laugh one moment and cringe the other. Picture it: youth-lost with a sharp millennial sting. Watch it on Prime Video.
9. Dept. Q
Would you like to see something sinister? Dept. Q is a British detective drama that really packs a punch. Matthew Goode portrays Carl Mørck, an ex-investigator who was once highly regarded but had his career destroyed by a calamity. Confined in a cellar, he is assigned only to cold cases from the past, but these are cases that will not be very cold for long. It’s gloomy, it’s gripping, and it is designed to fool you until the last second. Netflix does have this one, but beware: your sleep patterns may be messed up.
8. Murderbot
Get to know your new favorite antihero: a security robot that would rather watch soap opera marathons than rescue humans. From Martha Wells’ award-winning books, Murderbot combines witty banter with high-octane action as Alexander Skarsgård enlivens the sarcastic, existential robot. It’s a science fiction show, both brainy and funny, which makes it one of Apple TV+’s most distinctive titles.
7. The Pitt
Sick of generic medical dramas? The Pitt dissects the formula. Filmed over the course of one grueling 15-hour ER shift, each episode represents an hour in real time. Noah Wyle plays a physician struggling to keep his ER running with the specter of budget cuts, staffing shortages, and constant emergencies. The payoff: raw, unflinching, and impossible to turn away from. Watch on Max.
6. Paradise
Political thriller? Check. Secret underground bunker? Check. Murder mystery? Double check. Hulu’s Paradise features Sterling K. Brown as a Secret Service agent entangled in the aftermath of a presidential assassination. What ensues is a gripping tapestry of lies, power struggles, and dystopian drama that seems all too familiar to our own reality. Twisty, suspenseful, and ideal for binge-watching in one sitting.
5. The Studio
Hollywood satire doesn’t get much sharper than The Studio. Seth Rogen co-creates and stars as a newly promoted exec trying to run a legacy film studio where everything—literally everything—goes wrong. Celebrity cameos, inside jokes, and bold filmmaking tricks make it a wild ride for movie lovers. If you’ve ever wanted to peek behind the curtain of showbiz (and laugh at the chaos), this Apple TV+ comedy is for you.
4. Foundation
Isaac Asimov’s science fiction classic receives the luxurious treatment in Foundation, three seasons in on Apple TV+. Imagine a vast galaxy governed by emperors cloned from their predecessors, a mathematical genius foretelling their collapse, and a questing mission to preserve humankind’s future. Starring Jared Harris and Lee Pace, this series is sheer space opera spectacle—grand, stunning, and eternally ambitious.
3. The Bear
Few series bottle anxiety, comedy, and sentiment as well as The Bear. Jeremy Allen White plays Carmy, a chef who takes over his family’s Chicago sandwich shop following tragedy. It’s raw, quick-cut, and excruciatingly real in its depiction of the restaurant grind. If you haven’t yet heard “Yes, Chef!” yelled online, you will. All four seasons are available to stream on Hulu.
2. Alien: Earth
The Alien franchise has officially taken over TV land, and it’s charmingly scary. Alien: Earth is a work that bridges the gap between the first and second films, as the story of the space aliens invading the Earth, and a group of soldiers fighting with them, unfolds. Noah Hawley’s concept is still grand, though it brings in different characters and lore. It isn’t quite as thrilling as a half-hour alone at midnight, but you’ll love it nonetheless. Catch it on FX/Hulu.
1. The Paper
Greg Daniels and Michael Koman (The Office, Parks and Rec) are the minds behind The Paper, a mockumentary about a failing Ohio newspaper set in which. Oscar Nunez, Domhnall Gleeson, and Sabrina Impacciatore, the leads of a fantastic group, perfectly combine the ridiculousness of the workplace, the presence of oddballs, and the surprise of the heart in the series. If you are a fan of the golden age of cringe-mockumentary, Peacock is the place to be for your next addiction.
So, there you go: ten shows to fall asleep watching. If you are in the mood for laugh-out-loud satire, nail-biting thriller suspense, or even existential robots with funny streaming habits, there is something here to perfectly scratch that “What should I watch?” itch. Now, the only question is: what lies at the top of your queue?