Scary Mommy recently published the article The 20 Best Shows for New Moms to Binge Watch and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. These days I spend a lot of time on the couch feeding the little man or letting him nap on me so I’ve been filling my Netflix queue (what did we ever do before Netflix?!) with recommendations from friends.
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During my maternity leave with Caroline I re-watched The Office from start to finish and loved it because I didn’t have to think too hard or follow too closely and the episodes were short (and ridiculously funny). This time around I’ve been binge watching Parenthood and am addicted. It is so, so, so good and although I’m only on season 4 I am already angry that season 6 is not available on Netflix yet. Soooo, once I finish this series I am going to need a new show to replace it!
According to the article, the top 20 shows are listed below:
1. *Gilmore Girls
2. Parenthood
3. The Mindy Project
4. Nashville
5. *New Girl
6. *Orange Is the New Black
7. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
8. Weeds
9. *The Office
10. The White Queen
11. Game of Thrones
12. Doctor Who
13. Once Upon a Time
14. *Friends
15. Portlandia
16. Futurama
17. 3rd Rock from the Sun
18. 30 Rock
19. Modern Family
20. *Buffy the Vampire Slayer
*previously watched
If I had to add my own recommendations to this list I would also include…
1. Lost
2. Bloodline
3. Scandal
4. Suits
5. Revenge
6. Naked & Afraid
7. Breaking Bad
So my question for you all is…which series should I binge watch next?! I can’t decide! There are so many shows that I haven’t seen before but part of me would also love to stroll down memory lane with Gilmore Girls or Buffy!






I just rewatched Buffy and loved it just as much as I did before! I am not watching Friends! Revenge was always one of my favorite shows!
New Girl and 30 Rock are great, short episode comedies. Suits is good too and hubby would probably enjoy it as well being a lawyer. Justified is also an addicting great drama! Happy watching ๐
New Girl and 30 Rock are great, short episode comedies. Suits is good too and hubby would probably enjoy it as well being a lawyer. Justified is also an addicting great drama! Happy watching ๐
Friday Night Lights! I re-binge watched it on maternity leave. It really is amazing!
I would HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Revenge and Nashville!! Love them both! Or and I dont think Once Upon a Time was on your list. Thats a good one too!
I just got into The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and I love it. They are quick shows – 30 minutes. Love it.
How I Met Your Mother!
and Parks and Rec
Definitely Parks and Rec!
The Mindy Project and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt! They both feature actors from The Office. Also, New Girl remains one of my all-time favorites.
I'm obsessed with Parenthood! One of the best shows I've ever watched!
My ten year old and I are watching Gilmore Girls now. We're on season 2 and I'm not sure how long I'll let her watch, but we'll see. I'm watching Parenthood by myself – I'm nearly finished with season 2 and I'm loving it!
I binge-watched Scandal while on maternity leave and it was great!
I watched Parenthood on my maternity leave as well, I was super bummed when I realized it was an actual ongoing show and that I'd have to wait to see the final season (cue hormonal tears). Once Upon a Time is great, but, I have to add Gossip Girl to your mix, and of course, Pretty Little Liars (it will suck you in). Have fun! And you're right, what did we do before Netflix?
I don't think it's on Netflix yet, but watch Odd Mom Out on Bravo! !!! Soooo funny! !!!!
Bloodline was SO SO good. Both my husband and I absolutely loved it. But 30 Rock and The Mindy Project are my favorites for background shows that are great to laugh at, that I enjoy almost every episode of.
Pinning this list! We just finished Mad Men and I was obsessed! I would def add that one to the list! The Mindy Project is one of my faves!
Love these lists! I have Friends and The Office on my "recently watched" list all the time. I just can't stop with those two. ๐ My suggestion is White Collar. You have to binge watch it (at least I did) because every episode leads into the next one. Loved that series!
Hubby and I binge watched Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and loved it. On hulu, we liked Little Mosque…a pretty simple but humorous sitcom. My name is Earl was a good one, too. I can't believe I'm saying this, but we're currently binge-watching Swamp People.
i started watching the office again the other day so funny ๐ i also loveeee House of Cards, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Mindy Project, and the New Girl. xo jillian – cornflake dreams
You have to watch Friday Night Lights! The guy from Bloodline is on there.
Also you may be able to watch season six of parenthood on your on demand or NBC app. Love Parenthood! Just finished in early June and
I binge watched Parenthood too and cried like a baby so many episodes. The last season is on Hulu FYI. So good. I would add Parks and Rec, SO funny. I second Friday Night Lights or I also loved One Tree Hill . I'm a 32 year old woman stuck in a teenage girls tv land. OOoor Greys Anatomy too. Can you tell I love to binge watch tv?
Hart of Dixie was really cute but only 3 out of the 4 seasons are on Netflix. Greys and Friday Night Lights are also winners!
Ohh goodness– there are few things The Husband and I love more than binge-watching a good show! I personally have binge-watched Parenthood, Scandal, Gilmore Girls (second time watching), and seasons of Friends (never gets old!). As a couple we've watched House of Cards, The Affair, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos… and Friday Night Lights. Girl, if you haven't watched FNL, you need some Tami and Eric Taylor in your life. You will laugh and cry and feel like they are your family and that there's no way that you can say goodbye when the show ends. DO IT!!
30 Rock!!! We binge watch too – a lot of the same shows (watching Parenthood now but it's too heavy for me – we follow it up with 30 Rock – one to make us cry and one to make us laugh). I laugh out loud multiple times.
Parks & Recreation is great – really funny, especially if you like The Office!
I'm really enjoying Friday Night Lights right now! I didn't think I would like it at all but I promise it's more than just high school football ๐
Oh my goodness! So many good one's to pick from! If you are wanting a light hearted and funny show, my picks would definitely be Modern Family and The Mindy Project. My husband and I watch those two and laugh out loud in just about every episode! We also liked Breaking Bad, but it is pretty intense in my opinion, but I am a baby! ๐
Scandal and Parenthood. I swear when I was watching Scandal I felt my woman power raise. Parenthood was great too!
I loveeeeee Nashville!
Nashville for sure! You need some Deacon in your life!
How I met your Mother or Nashville…THE BEST!!!
Oh golly I don't know how your emotions are handling Parenthood AND new parenthood!!! At the very best of times that show leaves me a sobbing mess!!!!! I owe you many many emails friend xx
A ton of good ones…I would add: House of Cards
I'm on maternity leave too and I'm loving Netflix. I just finished the whole season of Call the Midwife. It's great!
I love the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, New Girl and Friday Night Lights! But House of Cards is also a really good show to binge watch except you do have to follow closely. But all the others are really good light hearted shows.I love Gilmore Girls so much, I have watched the series about three times!
The Office is the best!! Seinfeld and Modern Family sound like good shows to binge watch, too. I never got into LOST but I've been thinking that would be a good one to get hooked on. Right now, I'm loving Astronaut Wives but that's probably not on Netflix.
House of Cards for sure!
GIRRRRL, hubs and I are binge-watching Parenthood now as well (we're on Season 2) and I'm already thinking that it may go down as my second favorite show of all time, (second to Friends, which will ALWAYS be number 1). Therefore, my suggestion is for you to binge watch FRIENDS!! Even if you've already seen every single episode, it's always amazing to watch the entire series from start to finish. I love it so much and I never get tired of it.
Oh, and I know it's not on the list, but Dawson's Creek!!!! I'm such a nerd.
Friday Night Lights!! It's soooo good! I have shed several tears over the first season! We're hooked!!
Love Modern Family! Glad you're getting to enjoy some down time!:)
Dawson's Creek is always a fun one! Hart of Dixie is a light hearted one too that is good and baby daddy is hilarious! not a mom
Let me add to the list of those recommending Friday Night Lights. If you love Parenthood you will also love FNL!! It's so not just high school football, I promise. It's one you will laugh and cry with and absolutely fall in love with the characters. Season 2 takes a small downturn but it picks back up and is flawless. Plus, you will recognize some folks from Parenthood and Bloodline. ๐ Both Parenthood and FNL are my two favorite shows of ALL time.
West Wing or Newsroom… love both!!
So many of these shows are on my To Be Watched list! I guess I need to get pregnant and have a mat leave haha! My husband and I watched the Office from start to finish and loooooved it!
One Tree Hill is my favorite!! So old yet SO good. I am dying to watch Scandal!
Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, Grey's, Nashville, Grace and Frankie–hilarious, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt–hilarious! I just started Call the Midwife yesterday and am loving it so far!
House of Cards
Glad to know I'm not the only one who loves Gilmore Girls! Parenthood is amazing, I'm on season 4 as well. I think I cry every episode.
We LOVE The Mindy Project. It's the only thing *even close* to The Office humor anymore. (although we do think Brooklyn nine-nine is hilarious too). I adore Nashville, I miss 30 Rock, and I own all seasons of Friends on dvd (and god bless tbs), that stays in the rotation. hah I used to watch Once Upon a TIme, got to be too weird and I fell to far behind. Do you not already watch Modern?! Do it!
I could binge watch Gilmore Girls, and Friends every day!
Parenthood is my guilty pleasure ( only 5 episodes to go…I don't want it to end). Also try Odd Mom Out on Bravo. Soo funny.
Love this! during my maternity leave I binged Friday Night Lights (may have to again) & Gossip Girl (haha no joke) I may have to jump on the Parenthood binge though!
Another one for Friday Night Lights!! Especially if you're loving Parenthood – it's the same producers. So so so good!
I've seen pretty much all of the ones mentioned already. I binge watched a few others during my maternity: Pretty Little Liars and The Killing have been two of my favorites – if you like mysteries ๐
I couldn't wait for the final season of parenthood to come out on Netflix! I searched youtube and found ALL season 6 episodes!!
You MUST watch Friday Night Lights. It's my favorite series of all time and you don't have to like football to appreciate it. Trust me, you will love it!
I'm currently rewatching The Office too. Very funny and doesn't require too much concentration. If you like Orange is the New Black, check out Wentworth. A bit darker than Orange, but so good!
I'm a fellow binge watcher. My favorite was Parenthood. I loved Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill and Hart of Dixie on Netflix. I started Pretty Little Liars while home with Griffin, and got HOOKED. It still comes on, and my husband is hooked, too. Watch it! ?
I loved Nashville, and I would highly recommend Friday Night Lights!!! It is ah-mazing!!
currently rewatching Grey's Anatomy ๐
You should really give Hart of Dixie a try!!!! Awesome show!! Hope that Thomas is doing well….and Caroline of course! ๐