Discovering a series 12 years after its premiere is good for one reason: you don’t have to wait for episodes to drop, making it completely bingeable. If you didn’t jump on the Friday Night Lights bandwagon back in 2006, then this is your chance. Set in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, FNL puts a spotlight on the pressure placed on high school football coaches and the young men in their teams. For those who aren’t avid sports fans, don’t be put off by the football themed series, Friday Night Lights wins you over with its depiction of characters like Coach Taylor (Chandler) and his wife Tami (Britton). And if it’s at all possible, this series actually makes you care about American football – to a certain extent. 4 stars (Streaming now on Stan) · By Alexandra McCarthy
3. AGGRETSUKO
VOICED BY: Erica Mendez
Red panda Retsuko (Mendez) toils in the accounts department of a big trading firm, copping abuse from her literal pig of a boss and wary of her frenemy colleagues. Torn between succeeding and walking away, she escapes by belting out her insecurities, fears and angst in a death-metal karaoke frenzy. The animation is cute, and the humour is cutting. 4 stars (Streaming now on Netflix) · By Cynthia Wang
3. HARROW
STARRING: Ioan Gruffudd, Mirrah Foulkes
The ABC’s homegrown crime series brings more than a weekly mystery for its protagonist, forensic pathologist Daniel Harrow (Gruffudd), to poke around in—the entire show is underpinned by Harrow’s dark past, which is laid bare by degrees. While the dedicated pathologist works obsessively to achieve justice for the victims of violent crime who end up in his lab at the Queensland Institute of Forensic Medicine, the intrigue around Harrow’s back story—and that of his ex-wife, Stephanie (Anna Lise Phillips) and estranged daughter, Fern (Ella Newton)—builds, threatening both his career and his budding relationship with the sassy scenes-of-crime officer Sgt Soroya Dass (Foulkes). 3.5 stars (Streaming now on iView) · By Marianne Bilkey
4. THE RAIN
STARRING: Alba August
Like The 100, The 5th Wave, Tomorrow When the War Began et al, The Rain has teenagers battling to survive end-of-the-world conditions, not surprising, as it’s an obvious metaphor for the emotional upheaval of young adult life. This Danish production, dubbed in English, adds a topical chemical-weapons slant to the tried-and-tested trope. When deadly rain decimates the world’s population, Simone (August) is charged with keeping her young brother safe in a bunker—as he is the key to the cure. But when their supplies run low, the pair must face the outside. Stick through till the end of Episode 1, when The Rain lifts. 3 stars (Streaming now on Netflix) · By Deborah Grunfeld
5. MASTERCHEF
STARRING: Gary, George and Matt
When MasterChef Australia was first proposed, back in 2009, I'll admit, I was sceptical. A nightly show about amateur chefs? How could that possibly sustain interest over three months? How wrong one can be. Now, 10 seasons on, there is still the thrill when the ads for the new year start. A testament to how clever the program is: its original three judges are still showing up to work with excitement on their mugs. And the quality of the show—and most especially the capability and creativity of its homegrown cooks—just keeps getting better and better. Week 1 of Season 10 features the added bonus of all the winners from the past nine seasons. 4 stars (Catch up now on Tenplay) · By Deborah Grunfeld
WHO magazine's new TV podcast, Binge List is your weekly guide to what's bingeworthy on Australian TV. From streaming, to pay TV, to broadcast, we've got it all covered. Join TV aficionados Matthew Denby, Gavin Scott and Clare Rigden as they talk about this week's must-watch shows. So get comfortable, find the remote and tune in for everything you need to know - and a lot more!
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