Bree-Anna Burick Jul 6, 2024 8 min read

Best TV Shows for Binge Watching on a Rainy Weekend

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Even though it’s summertime and most of the United States is enjoying warm, beautiful weather, there’s always a chance of gloomy, rainy days forcing you inside. If you don’t want to spend your rainy days completing all those tasks on your to-do list, you’re probably looking for something to binge watch.

Few things are more relaxing than curling up on the couch and losing hours binging TV shows. Thanks to the numerous streaming services that are available now, you can find virtually any TV show that’s ever experienced any level of success to binge.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of TV shows to binge watch the next time you’re stuck inside on a rainy weekend.

You’ll probably find that some of these binge-worthy TV shows are going to take more than a single weekend to get through, but that’s OK. You’ll quickly find that you’re watching the clock until the work day is over so you can get back to your TV show binging.

Our list of the best TV shows to binge covers virtually every genre from comedy to medical dramas. No matter what type of TV shows you enjoy, you can find something on this list of the best TV shows to binge watch.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

If you’re a 90s kid, you’re probably already familiar with the power of nostalgia, especially now that many of the things that you loved in your childhood are becoming popular again, including TV shows.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most iconic TV shows from the 90s. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Buffy, a young woman who is destined to battle vampires, demons, and various otherworldly creatures. With the help of her friends, Buffy devotes her life to combating supernatural forces of evil.

Over the course of its seven seasons, the show won two Primetime Emmys and countless other awards.

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House M.D.

Set at the fictional Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, House M.D. follows the life of Dr. Gregory House, a nationally acclaimed, board-certified diagnostician who takes on the cases that other doctors can’t handle.

If you’ve never seen the show, it may seem like a relatively straightforward medical drama, but that’s not the case.

In addition to his addiction to opioids, Dr. House lacks anything resembling a bedside manner and often strongarms his patients into choosing the right treatment for their ailments.

Along with a crack team of residents (which changes as the show goes on), House provides a perfect mix of medical mystery and compelling stories about the characters.

The show ran for eight seasons, during which it won five Primetime Emmys and 53 other awards. Hugh Laurie, who plays the lead role, does an incredible job of bringing Dr. House, with all of his idiosyncrasies, to life in a compelling way.

Nashville

Unlike some of the other shows on our list, Nashville was based in Nashville, Tennessee, where most of the show was actually filmed.

Whether you’re a country music fan or not, the show is incredibly compelling as you follow the ups and downs of fictional country music singers at various stages of their careers.

The show stars Connie Britton who plays the “Queen of Country Music,” Rayna Jaymes, who is struggling to keep her career afloat as she deals with the surging popularity of Juliette Barnes, played by Hayden Panettiere.

Additionally, Rayna’s ex-boyfriend, Deacon Clayborne (played by Charles Esten of “Outer Banks”) is a central figure in the show.

Producers managed to weave together multiple compelling stories at the same time focusing on people who were already stars in the industry and those who were trying to break through.

The show ran for six seasons and was such a beloved show that fans managed to get it rebooted on CMT after ABC canceled the show following its fourth season.

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This Is Us

The Pearson family endeared themselves to millions of viewers for six seasons, during which the show won four Primetime Emmys and more than 60 other awards.

The show follows a trio of siblings, who are often referred to as “the triplets,” even though one of the brothers was adopted shortly after his birth.

The cast included familiar names such as Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia. While the show starts with the triplets as adults, celebrating their birthday, some of the show’s best moments take place in flashbacks to their youth.

The flash-forwards which became such a staple of the show provided fans with years to guess what was going to happen. If you missed out on This is Us during its initial run, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

A Million Little Things

Another show that came to an end of its run recently, A Million Little Things focuses on a group of friends based in Boston while teaching the premise that Jon Dixon taught them: “Friendship isn’t one big thing; it’s a million little things.”

We won’t spoil any of the show in case you haven’t seen it, but if you’re looking for a show that starts off with a major moment, this is a great choice for you.

This award-winning drama featured an all-star cast that includes Alison Miller, Romany Malco, and James Roday Rodriguez. Over the course of its five seasons, A Million Little Things tackles a variety of socially relevant topics including racism, addiction, and so much more.

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Virgin River

This Netflix Original stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda Monroe, a nurse practitioner who is looking for a fresh start after suffering a series of personal losses. She finds herself in the cozy little town of Virgin River, where she meets people who will change her life forever.

Breckenridge is joined by a cast of familiar faces including Martin Henderson, Benjamin Hollingsworth, and Tim Matheson.

While much of the show focuses on Monroe, known affectionately as “Mel,” and her personal struggles dealing with grief, love, and loss, the writers make the rest of the cast feel just as important.

The fictional town of Virgin River is in California, but much of the show was filmed in Canada, creating some of the most gorgeous shots of any show that you’ll find on our list.

Some of the best news about Virgin River is that the much-anticipated sixth season isn’t slated to drop until 2025. This means that you have plenty of time to get caught up on all the happenings going on in the cozy California town.

Stranger Things

Fans of sci-fi are sure to love this show starting Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, and Millie Bobby Brown. The Netflix original focuses on a group of kids in the town of Hawkins, Indiana who become friends with a young girl who has a bloody nose.

Eventually, after the disappearance of a young boy sends the town of Hawkins on a search for why people are vanishing.

What they uncover turns into a thrilling show that focuses on top-secret experiments, supernatural forces, and one incredibly odd young lady.

Even if you’re not a sci-fi addict, Stranger Things tells an engaging story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This show, which has won 12 Primetime Emmys and more than 100 other awards, is slated to return to the screen in 2025, which means you can get caught up and be ready for the fifth season.

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The Golden Girls

Let’s take a break from some of the more serious shows on our list and focus on a show that managed to provide plenty of laughs while still tackling some hot-button topics.

If you’re unfamiliar with the premise (unlikely, but it’s possible), the Golden Girls is about four ladies who find themselves widowed and living in Miami when three of them rent a room in a house owned by the fourth.

Starring iconic names like Betty White, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty, the Golden Girls is an iconic sitcom but the show’s writers and cast never shied away from talking about heavy topics like political affiliation, sexual orientation, and age discrimination.

Yes, you can find this show on a variety of cable networks, but if it’s a rainy weekend and you’re looking for a TV show to binge, head down to Miami and spend some time with the Golden Girls.

What Are You Binge-Watching?

Binge watching TV shows is a great way to pass the time on a rainy weekend, or if you’re just having a day where you don’t feel like getting up and doing much. These shows are a great place to start.

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