The "To Keep Up" Wiki

Collected from emails going on the list, these are movies, TV shows, series available on NetFlix, Amazon Prime Video, and elsewhere, either for free (after subscription) or at cost. For TV Channel alternatives, visit this page I prepared on this wiki

This started when someone asked for suggestions for “binge worth programs” with a preference for nonviolent. Crediting person suggesting ahead of each list; including suggester's comments in ( ); including my comments in [ ] )

• Dr. Who
• Sherlock
• Downton Abbey
• House
• Stranger Things
• The Bletchley Circle
• The Office
• The Tudors
• The West Wing
• Orange is the New Black
• The Good Place
• Mozart in the Jungle
• The Marvelous Mrs. Mazel [I second this–very funny]

• The Crown
• Designated Survivor
• Money Heist
• Knives Out (movie) [I second this; akin to “Dial M For Murder” recently on TCM]

• Dr Whom (he am person who arrives to be fixin' yer grammer) [edits by steve, an attempt to add to humor]

note some of these contain violence, David has indicated this in his notes

• Ozark (Netflix. Season 3 coming Friday.Jason Bateman, minor violence, but threat of it is at heart)
• Sex Education (British, in Netflix, sweet, funny, not violent). 14+
• Better Call Saul (threatening, but not a ton of actual violence especially compared to Breaking Bad, currently finishing last season on AMC, older episodes in Netflix,)
• Happy Valley (BBC on Amazon now, great female creators, lead actor, some violence for sure and suspense)
• Fleabag (not violent but mature themes. I wouldn't want to watch fleabag with teenagers in the same room because embarrassing).
• Barry (HBO, Bill Hader, mostly dark comedy, some violence)
• Veep! (HBO original, s1+2 now free on Anazon very funny, not violent)
• Game of Thrones (if you can handle the very first episode you can take just about everything that follows, but def not for the squeemish)
• Breaking Bad (definitely has violence)
• The Fall (BBC on Amazon Prime with Gillian Anderson, serial killer, maybe my favorite police procedural ever)
• Luther (PBS/BBC, Idris Elba, ok this might be favorite police procedural)
• Prime Suspect (BBC/PBS, Helen Miren, uh…maybe this is…see above)
• Rome (HBO original, ancient period drama, some violence in keeping with period)
• Spranos (lots violent obv)
• Weeds (Showtime original, now on Netflix)
• The Wire (definitely has violence, but might be best written show ever)

• Fleabag
• Sex Education
• Corner Gas (on Amazon Prime - old show, flat voiced sarcasm, sweet, family show)
• Big Bang Theory
• Jane the Virgin (I liked for about 2 seasons, then it got too “soap opera” like for me)
• Grace and Frankie
• Derry Girls (teens in the Troubles - and it's about the teen experience, not so much the Troubles)
• Vicar of Dibley [Be sure to watch the very end where the vicar tells a joke to Alice who has trouble understanding it]
• Coupling (only the British version. The American version is not funny)
• Kominsky Method
• Hitch (not a series, a fun rom com [romantic commedy?] movie)
• The IT Crowd (sitcom in the basement of an IT office, old show)
• Kim's Convenience (sitcom in a Korean corner store in Canada)
• New Girl
• Atypical (wonderful show about the family which includes a young man with Aspergers - he is growing up and his family needs to cope)
• AJ and the Queen (a drag queen friends a troubled tweener by chance and adventures - personally, I like this, but I can see how there are problems with the concept)
• Madam Walker

who says: Britbox and PBS Passport are great

• Broadchurch
• Hinterland
• The Stranger
• Hinterland
• Unbelievable
• A Very English Scandal
• Dr Foster
• Endeavor
• Durrells in Corfu
• Victoria
• Unforgotten
• The Indian Doctor
• Grantchester
• Last Tango in Halifax
• Working Moms
• The Let Down
• Sisters
• Offspring
• The Good place
• West Wing
• Cheers
• Pressed
• The Good Wife
• Sanditon
• Pride and Prejudice
• Anne with an E
• Sherlock
• Jack Ryan
• Catastrophe
• Big Little Lies
• Succession
• Watchmen
• Indian Summers
• HappyValley
• Last Tango in Halifax
• Collateral
• Wire (one of my favorite shows ever)

• MET Opera and Playbill free streaming
• And if you want a really , really fun time —-
  • This Mike Douglas interview of Moe Howard is incredible https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFeeLaWakAw
  • This Dick Cavett one hour interview of Groucho Marx is amazing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VckmK-ZCpAU
• Stargate SG-1 (on Hulu)

Has anyone noticed a theme of violence and power struggle running through the recommended TV watchings? Where are the comedies and fun films/shows? Here are some good suggestions,

• Donnah
• Babe
• Balto
• How to Steal A Million
• Meet Me in St. Louis
• Lilies of the Field
• Space Cowboys
• City Slickers
• To Catch a Thief
• Field of Dreams
• League of their Own
• Mary Poppins
• Cool Runnings
• Guys and Dolls
• Ghost and Mrs. Muir
• Pleasantville
• The Cowboys (John Wayne)
• Captains Courageous
• Hachi
• Move Over Darling (James Garner, Doris Day) or My Favorite Wife (same plot except starring Cary Grant , Irene Dunn)
• American in Paris
• Daddy Longlegs

• Star Trek (the whole series is on CBS Access including the latest Picard)

• Call My Agent“ (a French comedy about a talent agency in Paris. All the characters are lovable (well, at least likable) it's a fun and funny show. There are three seasons on Netflix. I'm waiting for the fourth . You'll have to read subtitles so you can't fall asleep.)

• The English Game (on Netflix)

• Good Omens
• Call the Midwife
• Sherlock
• Mr. Robot (darker and more violent than I normally like, but really compelling and beautifully acted, filmed, and directed)
• The Great British Bakeoff
• Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (Jerry Seinfeld)
• Catastophe
• Imposters (you need to suspend disbelief)
• Mad Men
• Russian Doll

• Downton Abby
• Miss Fisher (Murder mystery—on Amazon Prime and Netflix variously)
• Father Brown (Murder mystery—on Amazon Prime and Netflix variously)
• A series on the life on Madame CJ Walker (the first African American self made millionaire, early 1900’s) -with Octavia Spencer as Madame Walker.
• The English Game

• The Americans (Definitely violent. For anyone who liked Breaking Bad, you should also like this.)
• Six Feet Under (A great series and has one of the best final episodes ever. Not violent.)

• https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/stage-shows-musicals-opera-free-stream-online_51198.html (A list from the UK of plays & musicals to see on various streaming services, mostly on You Tube and Vimeo. Have seen the excellent Lauren Gunderson I and You as well as the very disturbing Cyprus Avenue starring Stephen Rea. This list was compiled in response to the West End blackout.)

my list, a work in progress

• Outsourced (the movie not the TV show)
• What's Up Doc
• Gumball Rally (an illegal car race from NYC to LA)
• Some Like It Hot
• (Just about anything with Cary Grant)

This page has been visited 4 times yesterday, 2 times today, and 4632 times in total since 3/22/2020.