Winter is creeping in. As the chill sets in, we all shift our activities inside. We replace picnics and camping trips with takeout and binge watching. We scroll for hours through our various streaming services, hunting for the ideal show or movie to occupy our time. The days of picking a movie from Blockbuster's limited selection are behind us.

No longer are we confined to twenty-something channels, half of which are news. Now we have nearly unlimited viewing power. But with great power comes great responsibility. No one wants to be left out of the television gossip loop.

If only there was a guide of some sort. If only someone with too much free time would put together a list of the best things to watch…

Netflix Stand-up

Let’s talk comedians. Judah Friedlander’s, “America is the Greatest Country in the United States,” is one of the funniest specials out there. You can gather from the name that it is sarcastically political. But don’t worry, your party affiliation will not make this any less enjoyable. If you laugh at the raunchier stuff, Tom Segura is your guy. He has two specials on Netflix, “Completely Normal,” and the Netflix original, “Mostly Stories.” Both of these will make you shoot milk from your nose, even if you aren’t drinking milk.

Pro tip, Do not watch Tom Segura with your parents.

A special you can watch with your parents is Norm Macdonald’s “Hitler’s Dog, Gossip & Trickery.” This special showcases how a true master veteran delivers some of the cleverest observations with perfect comedic timing. A few quick mentions. Rory Scovel, Mike Birbiglia, Ali Wong, and John Mulaney will all make you giggle yourself into a stupor.

Hulu’s Dramatic Series

If you’re looking for something a little more intense, two titles on Hulu might pique your interest. “The Handmaid’s Tale” sets current political issues in a near-future dystopia. Emmy winner, Elisabeth Moss embodies her character so expertly that you will forget you are watching television. Rarely does a show with such an unfamiliar setting tell such raw human stories.

If you are interested in something a little more relatable, “This is Us,” will make you feel like you are part of the family. Built on the beauty and pain of many well-written characters, this show will make you grin one second, and uncontrollably sob the next.

Hulu’s Comedic shows

If you’re like me, comedy is more your speed. My fancy is tickled best by “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Rick and Morty.” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” casts Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, and a long list of other well-suited actors, as the detectives of New York City’s 99th precinct. It’s rare to find a show this funny that doesn’t force you to think. I

f you are in the mood for deeper comedy “Rick and Morty” might be up your alley.

This twisted, nihilistic, animated comedy follows a teenage boy and his foul-mouthed grandfather on their sci-fi adventures through an infinite multiverse. Just don’t forget the classics. “South Park” and "Saturday Night Live” both just started up again, and are brilliantly topical.

Netflix Original Shows

Netflix has been buying up more and more original programming. Now the service is littered with unknown, untested shows. Some are not worth your time, but a few make the cut. If you haven’t seen, “Stranger Things,” push this to the top of your list. It’s a perfect blend of an 80’s themed, paranormal thriller, and a coming of age story. My only recommendation is that you start this on a Friday night because you will over-binge this show.

Dipping into the ultra-relatable, “Master of None” is Aziz Ansari’s unbelievably well-written look at life in NYC. It’s similar to a modern-day “Seinfeld,” but with a little more substance. I would recommend “House of Cards,” but with Kevin Spacey joining the ranks of sexual predators in Hollywood, I would rather recommend some other shows. Quick honorable mentions. “Chef’s Table” for the hungry, “Ozark” for the curious, and “Glow” for the feminists (or just people who love great shows). Now get out there and Binge Responsibly.
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