Hello, people. My mind is gone. I don’t even know what day it is anymore. Is it Thursday? Saturday? I don’t know…and who cares? EVERY DAY IS THE SAME. I guess I am a teacher now, too. Common core math? I didn’t do this shit when I was in school. Why theeeeee f’in F is it “decomposing” or “regrouping” now?! Honestly.

Someone, save me!!! Except don’t, because social distancing.

Utterly Binge-Worthy: 16 Of The Best British TV Shows

On that emotionally confusing note, here are some shows I truly have enjoyed. Yes, they are all British (if you don’t know by now I am a half-Brit that has an affinity for all things British). Do you ever just have those types of shows that make you feel like you’re at home? Like, you turn it on and just breathe a big sigh and settle in. Now that I am saying it, I realize that we are all home now, every day…every bloomin’ second, so. We all feel like we are at home…because WE BLOODY WELL ARE.

Anyway, please enjoy my favorites brought to you by our friends over the pond while you #stayhome forever.

1. Fleabag (Netflix)

Aaaah, Fleabag. Her dry-wit and awkward way of navigating through life and love in London…I love it! It’s just so quirky and energetic. I wish there were more seasons to watch because I miss it.

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2. The Crown (Netflix)

This show focuses on Queen Elizabeth II as a twenty-five-year-old newlywed faced with the daunting prospect of leading the world’s most famous monarchy while forging a relationship with legendary Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. I’ll be honest, my favorite part about it is the clothes…and the accents, of course.

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3. Catastrophe (Amazon Prime Video)

This one is about two single people who become a couple after she unexpectedly becomes pregnant (whoops) following a fling while he is visiting London on a business trip. They then try to figure it all out together and end up staying together, knowing little about each other. This one is just so funny! I love the quirk of it, and Sharon Horgan is just plain hilarious.

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4. Victoria (Amazon Prime Video)

Alexandrina Victoria is only 18 when she ascends to the throne after the death of her paternal uncle, King William IV. She asserts her independence by standing up to the suffocating influence of her mother and the abusive, domineering Sir John Conroy. I also loved the clothes in this one…beautiful!

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5. Call The Midwife (Netflix)

This one is a period drama about a group of nurse midwives working in the East of London in the late 1950s and ’60s. The first series, set in early 1957, tackles the “Baby Boom” issues of poverty and post-war immigration. It is so interesting to see how mothers gave birth back in the day…AMAZING (I mean, some still do at-home births, but ya know what I mean). I found myself crying every time a baby was born in an episode. It really is a beautifully done series.

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6. Poldark (PBS Masterpiece / Prime Video)

I mean, look at those faces. They have drama and fraught love written all over them. ha. Ross Poldark, is a British Army officer who returns to his home in Cornwall from the American War of Independence only to find that his fiancée Elizabeth Chynoweth believed him dead and is about to marry his cousin. As the story goes on, he hires a girl, Demelza, as a scullery maid…who he ends up falling in love with. The episodes continue with dramatic occurrences and twisted people doing twisted things. Also, the setting could not be more beautiful, featuring Cornwall on the Bodmin Moor.

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7. Black Mirror (Netflix)

This is a very interesting, somewhat dark (at times) series. Each episode is a new story, with different characters and plots. Basically, it’s speculative fiction with dark and sometimes satirical themes that examine modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies. I would seriously feel weirded out after some episodes, and had to take a break from the show for a while before coming back to it. If you like weird and eerie, you will like this show.

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8. Sanction (PBS Masterpiece)

I will watch anything Jane Austen. This is a historical drama series that was adapted from one of Jane Austen’s unfinished novels (probably stopped writing it, because of her illness). It is set during the Regency era, and follows a young and naive lady as she navigates the new seaside resort of Sanditon. I am undecided about how I feel about her main love interest. He’s kind of a jerk, in my opinion. Now, the bricklayer. He’s more my cup of tea.

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9. Deep Water (Netflix)

This one I randomly came across while perusing Netflix and I think it’s worth mentioning — while it is not my most favorite British show I have ever seen. It’s a series set in the Lake District, and follows the lives of three interesting women as they struggle to do the right thing for their families, facing difficult decisions that could have major consequences. I found it to be puzzling, which is what kept me watching.

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10. Outlander (Netflix / Starz)

I mean, I am pretty sure the majority of us have at least heard of this show by now. This series follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened…and she meets a delicious Scotsman. The accents. aaaaaaaaaa. Delightful.

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11. Sex Education (Netflix)

Probably my favorite show right now. Once you get into it you can’t stop…at least, I couldn’t. Otis, a teenage boy with a sex therapist mother, teams up with a high school classmate, Maeve, to set up an underground sex therapy clinic at school. Need anything else be said? Nope. It’s pure gold.

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12. Peaky Blinders (Netflix)

Peaky Blinders is all about a gangster family set in Birmingham, England, in 1919. It’s several months after the end of the First World War. The story centers on the Peaky Blinders gang and their ambitious and highly cunning boss Tommy Shelby. The storyline is fantastic, but even better are the hair cuts and clothing. AMAZING. Also, the “Brummie” English accent is probably one of my favorite things now.

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13. The Last Kingdom (Netflix)

As Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred — born a Saxon but raised by Vikings — seeks to claim his ancestral birthright. It definitely sucks you in and keeps your attention, with the battles, the costumes, the accents, the music…and GOODNESS. Uhtred is not hard to look at…or listen to. However, I have to say that my favorite character in this series is Alfred, played by David Dawson. He does such a brilliant job.

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14. The Stranger (Netflix)

The synopsis I found via google reads, “Adam Price is a happily married father of two whose life is turned upside-down after a stranger tells him a secret about his wife. The revelation catapults him into a world of danger.” whoah. haha. It is a perplexing series that has twists and turns that have you wondering what the heck is going on? Basically, a good show to binge.

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15. The Only Way Is Essex (Hulu)

This is a reality tv series based in Brentwood, England. It’s just one of those shows that you get hooked on. I found it immediately entertaining because of the accents, the fashion and the ridiculous situations. The people in it really do become very likable…and I am always sad to see another season end.

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16. Love Island – UK (Hulu)

I told myself there was no way I was going to watch this reality show, but then I watched the first episode…and then the second and then yeh, you get it. It’s similar to Bachelor in Paradise, but very…British. I’ll just say this last thing about it, having watched the most recent season — I want a Scottish accent now…like, really badly.

Tea time, anyone?

Cheers,

Cams

Find me over on the gram (@camilledipaola) for more #TotallyCasualMotherhood moments.