Watch

Students have much more free time during the stay-at-home order, so now is a perfect time to catch up on popular and critically-acclaimed TV shows and movies, many of which are coming to Video on Demand (VOD). 

Sophomore James Sowerby said he has been watching a lot of TV. Some of the shows he has been bingeing are “Mad Men,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” “Derry Girls,” and “The West Wing,” all of which he recommends.

“They all have a different niche to fill,” James said. “’Mad Men’ and ‘West Wing’ are older dramas that are much more serious, while ‘Avatar’ is a lighter-hearted nostalgia show for me. ‘Derry Girls’ is a sitcom from Northern Ireland that’s only 20 minutes per episode, making it a quick laugh.”

“Avatar: The Last Airbender,” recently released on Netflix, has rapidly jumped to the top of its “Most Popular” section. It can be a nostalgic rewatch for Lab students who grew up with its first Nickelodeon run. Read the Midway’s review of “Avatar” here.

The acclaimed 2019 crime thriller “Uncut Gems” is also one of the most popular recent Netflix releases. It stars Adam Sandler as a desperate New York jeweler who gambles everything to stay afloat.

For those who don’t have Netflix, there are other viewing options. Amazon Prime recently released “SCOOB!” an animated film adaptation of Scooby Doo, and is set to release several other films on demand this summer.

Quibi, a brand-new video platform, allows viewers to watch short original series and films on their mobile devices.

 Hulu offers beloved comedy shows like “Family Guy,“ “Bob’s Burgers,” “Rick and Morty” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” as well as critically acclaimed films such as 2019’s Oscar-winning “Parasite” (read the Midway’s review here). 

These are just a few of the countless options for students looking to sit back and binge something entertaining during the lockdown. In fact, this mode of consuming film and television might become the new norm as Hollywood rapidly shifts to accommodate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.