Finding your next favourite show can feel like a sport. You need to dodge all the rubbish as you power through endless streamers, networks and series. Sometimes you hear of a buzzy new program only to be left defeated when it’s not available in Canada. By the time you finally land on something, you’re often too tired to actually watch it.
But, fear not, victory is nigh.
If you’re ready to embrace the changing season and hunker down with some cider and good TV, here are recommendations based on a few of the highest-rated and most talked-about shows from the past 20 years.
If you loved: Grey’s Anatomy
RICHARD CARTWRIGHT
You’ve already checked out ER and Noah Wiley’s other Emmy-winning medical drama, The Pitt (on Crave). Now, you’re looking for more complex cases and characters.
Current entry: Doc
John Medland/Global TV/Supplied
Molly Parker stars in this Global TV/StackTV drama about a doctor who emerges from a coma with memory loss. When she returns to the hospital as an intern to rebuild her professional life, she learns her personal life could use some updating, too.
International entry: Casualty
This older series streams on BritBox Canada and offers numerous melodramatic takes on hospital life. It’s Britain’s longest-running medical drama and has a spinoff, Holby City (also on BritBox).
If you loved: The Office
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You’d argue it’s hard to beat Michael Scott and the Dunder Mifflin crew, not to mention the British characters that inspired the American hit. But you’ve watched the international versions and similar comedies including The Paper, Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, Abbott Elementary and Superstore.
Current entry: St. Denis Medical
Crave
The CTV comedy stars Fargo’s Allison Tolman and The Goldberg’s Wendi McLendon-Covey as ER employees in an underfunded hospital. The laughs stem from the various characters and guest stars, but the single-camera comedy also features a ton of heart.
International entry: Call My Agent!
The French Call My Agent! (Dix Pour Cent) is one of the best workplace comedies around and has inspired several international adaptations. It follows four talent agents who take control of an agency after the founder’s death – but they didn’t bargain for all of the egos that come with the job. The first season is on Netflix.
If you loved: Breaking Bad
Ursula Coyote/Courtesy of manufacturer
As far as you’re concerned, there will never be any shows quite as brilliant as Breaking Bad and its spinoff, Better Call Saul. Still, you’re looking for criminal underdog stories with cool camera shots and conflicted characters.
Current entry: The Gentlemen
Christopher Rafael/Netflix/Supplied
Guy Ritchie’s spinoff of his eponymous 2019 film was a surprise hit on Netflix last year and is returning for a second season. The series follows an aristocrat who inherits his family’s estate, only to learn it hides a drug empire. Theo James and Kaya Scodelario headline an impressive cast, which includes Giancarlo Esposito.
International entry: ZeroZeroZero
This Italian Prime Video miniseries is a hard look at the modern cocaine trade and is based on real-life material. Over eight episodes, it follows a shipment from purchase to delivery and includes raw, emotional storylines that immediately hook you.
If you loved: Game of Thrones
HBO via AP
Betrayals, family drama and characters you love to hate are your thing. You’ve seen House of the Dragon and are counting down the days until 2026’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but ready to consider a break from Westeros.
Current entry: Shogun
Katie Yu/The Associated Press
This Emmy-winning Disney+ series is an incredible example of historical fiction, featuring brilliant costumes and world-building, complex characters and emotional story arcs. A second season is expected in 2027.
International entry: Ragnarok
This Norwegian drama reimagines Norse history with a present-day twist: A teen discovers he’s been given Thor’s powers, and over three seasons he has to save his world from ancient and modern evils alike. The complete series is on Netflix.
If you loved: The Big Bang Theory
Michael Yarish/The Associated Press
You enjoyed the multicam comedy for its strong characters and spinoffs, including Young Sheldon, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage and the coming Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. Now you want to check out other friend-based series featuring loveable nerds.
Current entry: Ghosts
CBS / Globa
Based on a British series, this Global TV/Paramount+ comedy follows a couple (played by Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar) who move into a house haunted by ghosts – but only the wife can see them. For all the show’s quirkiness, there are grounding moments of purpose, connection and love.
International entry: The IT Crowd
Picture a group of IT support workers at a large company hanging out under the sometimes supervision of a yuppie, and you’ll have a good idea of this comedy starring Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry. All five seasons are on BritBox.
If you loved: The Sopranos
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You can’t get enough of mobster movies and shows, particularly if they involve the inner psychology of a boss. You binged Narcos, Barry, Ozark and Peaky Blinders trying to fill the void The Sopranos left.
Current entry: Mayor of Kingstown
Dennis P. Mong Jr./Paramount+
This series from Taylor Sheridan (who gets a lot of love for his Yellowstone franchise) is a gritty watch with Canadian roots. Co-creator Hugh Dillon based the show, which stars Jeremy Renner and looks at the business of incarceration, on his hometown of Kingston.
International entry: Giri/Haji (Duty/Shame)
This limited Netflix series from Japan follows a Tokyo detective who goes to London in search of his assassin brother. It’s a complex examination of family, crime and duty, featuring great suspense and overall visuals.
If you loved: The Handmaid’s Tale
Steve Wilkie/The Associated Press
You’re a fan of dystopian series based on popular novels and are eagerly awaiting The Handmaid’s Tale’s sequel, The Testaments. You already checked out The Power and Station Eleven on Crave (before HBO pulled them from the streaming queue).
Current entry: Dark Matter
Apple+/Supplied
Not to be confused with the 2015 Canadian TV series, Dark Matter is Apple TV’s take on Blake Crouch’s thriller novel of the same name. The series stars Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly and follows a physicist as he navigates alternate realities while trying to claw his way back to his real life.
International entry: 3%
Although this dystopian series from Brazil (now on Netflix) isn’t based on a novel, it covers many of the themes present in The Handmaid’s Tale, including class struggles and rebellion. In it, young adults compete for a chance to escape poverty and live on the mysterious Offshore.
If you loved: The Crown
Coco Van Oppens/The Associated Press
You are seeking historical drama with great acting and privileged characters, and have already finished The Tudors and Victoria.
Current entry: A Very Royal Scandal
Christopher Raphael/Supplied
The third season in a line of Prime Video miniseries, A Very Royal Scandal stars Ruth Wilson and Michael Sheen and is based on the 2019 BBC Newsnight interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew. It follows 2021’s A Very British Scandal and the 2018 entry A Very English Scandal.
International entry: Queen Woo
If you want to learn more about Korean royal history, Queen Woo, starring Jeon Jong-seo, is a gripping take. The historical drama set in the Goguryeo kingdom (37 BC to AD 668) follows the queen as she weaves through politics and power struggles to name a new king. The catch? She has 24 hours to do it. Stream the first season on Paramount+.
If you loved: Bridgerton
HO/The Canadian Press
Gorgeous costumes, romance and a killer soundtrack are all key ingredients for you. You’ve watched Queen Charlotte, The Great, My Lady Jane, Sanditon and Belgravia and are burning for Bridgerton Season 4 and a closer look at the love life of Benedict (Luke Thompson).
Current entry: The Buccaneers
Supplied
The second season of Apple TV’s soapy period piece recently dropped, continuing the drama of two young American women sent to London in the 1870s in search of husbands and titles.
International entry: The Empress
This German historical drama follows Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Devrim Lingnau) and her romance with Emperor Franz Joseph (Philip Froissant). It’s a highly fictionalized take on real events, featuring stunning costumes and politically charged stories. There are two seasons on Netflix, with a third and final one expected within the next year or so.