The future, when it comes to Covid-19, seems really unsure. But what does look likely is that we're all about to have a lot more time at home on our hands. The Grazia team have put our heads together to create this list of things you should watch, read and listen to, cultural events that you may have missed (though if you haven't watched the obvious ones like Succession/Love Is Blind/Sex Education/Catastrophe etc, then of course, you can also get on that immediately).
Anna Dewhurst, Deputy Picture Director
To Watch… Five Guys A Week: OK, so there’s only been one series so far but my god, it was good. If you like dating shows with a touch of awkwardness and voyeurism, then this is the one for you. It’s also brilliantly unpredictable and will leave you baffled as to the outcome. Was horribly disappointed to discover there were no more episodes available yet.
To Listen…. I am a huge fan of the My Dead Parents podcast – presented by Bree Helders, who interviews her friends about the loss of a parent, after she lost both in a year. It’s fascinating, while being both poignant and hilarious.
To Read… This is tough as I’ve read a lot of good books recently, but I did particularly enjoy Skint Estate by Cash Carraway, which I think everyone should read. It really makes you check your privilege, while making you aware of some of the most awful struggles people face daily.
Rosamund Dean, Deputy Editor
To Watch… This Way Up: if anyone missed Aisling Bea’s perfect dramedy series about a young woman dealing with depression and loneliness, in a way that is deftly funny, and with Sharon Horgan as her straight-talking sister - well, now is the perfect time to catch up. It’s all available on All4.
To Listen… I became addicted to the podcast Happier With Gretchen Rubin on maternity leave, and the blend of happiness hacks mixed with Gretchen’s meandering chatter with her big sister Liz, is the perfect tonic for now.
To Read… The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo. I’ll be digging this out from the shelf where it has languished for the last six years, having bought it with good intentions, but zero time. Finally being able to fold my t-shirts in the right way might be poor consolation for weekends of cancelled plans, but I’ll give it a go.
Natalie Hammond, Fashion News and Features Editor
**To Watch…**The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. I have a WhatsApp group that’s dedicated to discussing the brilliance of this Amazon Prime show. Its protagonist is Midge, a whip-smart Jewish housewife, played with dazzling panache by Rachel Brosnahan, whose life is upended when her husband has an affair. Boy, does she turn lemons into lemonade. Instead of eating vast quantities of dairy, Midge becomes a comedian, with, you guessed it, her not-so-perfect life providing a rich seam of stand-up gold.
To Read…Braised Pork by An Yu. I’m halfway through and am already convinced that Braised Pork is one of the most interesting books I’ll read this year. It’s a story about a young woman, Jia Jia, who is unexpectedly widowed – and how she manages to puzzle her life back together. If you like lifting the lid on human oddity – and got a kick out of Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman – you’ll race through it.
Bonnie McLaren, Entertainment Writer
**To Watch…**Celebs Go Dating on All4. What with the madness of Love Is Blind, and now two Love Island series a year, CGD seems to have been neglected by most of my friends. I can’t understand why, when it is quite obviously the queen of dating shows. There is nothing better than watching reality stars – famous for their love lives - being absolutely shite at dating. But it’s even better when they’re being ripped apart by Rob Beckett. On which other show can you see Alison Hammond gossiping with Holly Willoughby and Rochelle Humes about a first date? Exactly.
To Listen… Fine Line, Harry Styles. Obviously I was going to say this, because, come on, listening to Harry’s latest album really Is just as nice as looking at him wearing Gucci suits.
To Read… Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby: Literally, nobody is a funnier writer than Samantha Irby. Her essays are as gorgeous as they are kind of gross. This is out at the end of month, and I implore you to buy it.
Ben Neale, Senior Designer
To Watch… The Bold Type: Based around a fictional fashion magazine called Scarlet, this show will inspire you to be your own boss and be more open about your sexuality. Follow Jane, Kat and Sutton as they navigate their way through their own careers and romantic relationships whilst also being there for each other and living their best lives. Available on Amazon Prime
To Listen… Music is the medicine that we all need right now. So we’ve created a playlist to motivate you here. Think catwalk tracks to strut around to on your screen break along with some positive songs that will make you want to DIY a standing desk. Self isolate, but make it fashion.
To Read… Grazia digital edition of course! New issue out every Tuesday on our app and you can shop the clothes featured directly from the page, so there’s no need to go searching for that new Zara dress ❤️
Georgia Aspinall, Digital Writer
To Watch... Blockers on Netflix: This is the type of Netflix film you scroll past until one hungover Sunday when you've lost the will to be a pretentious arsehole and realise two minutes in... it's actually the funniest film you've ever seen. I'm not even being dramatic, John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz are the holy trinity of comedy actors - I haven't laughed this much since the 2008 iconic comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
To Listen... Loveline with Amber Rose: This is oldie but goodie completely changed my perspective when it comes to sex and sexuality. Amber Rose is joined by sex therapist Dr Chris Donaghue to talk through everything from sexual curiosity to self-empowerment. It challenges everything you think you believe about sex and relationships with humour and lightness - it's the sex education I wish I'd had in school.
To Read... A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini: This 2007 novel is one you may've read when it first came out to rave reviews, but it's one i've wanted to return to for years. Telling the story of two different generations of women and their experiences growing up and living in Afghanistan, the mother-daughter style story is so overwhelmingly powerful I still have vivid memories of scenes I imagined when I first read it aged 13.
Annie Vischer, Beauty Editor
To Watch... Blockers, Netflix: Picture the Sunday evening scene. A sitting room full of jaded thirty-somethings, fresh from a weekend overwhelmed by scary headlines. The antidote? John Cena, Leslie Mann and the sort of pepped-up US comedy writing that on any other day we’d turn our noses up at. Tune in for 101 mins of pure 15-rated escapism and see if you don’t feel better.
To Watch... To Catch A Thief, Amazon Prime: I once had to trawl website after website to get my hands on the DVD of this, and now it’s served up on a plate via Amazon Prime. It’s 1950s Hollywood at its best, wrapped up in the glamour of the French Riviera. Cary Grant plays a Milk-Tray Man style jewel-thief who falls for the feisty Grace Kelly mid-heist. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.
To Watch... All Or Nothing Series, Amazon Prime: If, like me, you’re a bit of a sports nut, and can get wrapped up in anything from a televised game of boules (it happened, Commonwealth Games 2002, what a fight), to the World Cup, then the extensive All Or Nothing series on Amazon Prime is for you. The first editions involved top-tier NFL teams and a deep, throaty commentary from John Hamm. You follow each team through training across a matter of 8 episodes, as they play through the season. Its success in the US engendered new seasons following the All Blacks rugby team in New Zealand, and more locally for us, Pep Guardiola’s Man City team, narrated by Russell Crowe. Top pick? Plump for the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that will tug at your heart strings more than most.
To Watch... Rush, Netflix: This film ranks in my personal top 5, it’s that good. Sure, Chris Hemsworth helps, but the way Ron Howard manages to tap into the Formula 1 world of the 70s is what really makes it for me. The rivalry and unlikely eventual friendship between Niki Lauda and James Hunt is one of the most characterising images in the sport, and Daniel Bruhl’s portrayal of Niki garnered acclaim worldwide at the time of its release. Niki’s family even asked whether the team had dubbed Niki’s own voice into the film after the Premier, so convinced were they by Daniel’s performance. If you catch the bug after watching this one, see if you don’t get hooked on the Formula 1 Drive To Survive series, which follows the race season through from 2018 to 2019.
Amy Cooper, Head of Content
To Watch… Shrill on BBC iPlayer. I first watched a few excellent episodes of Shrill (based on the book of the same name by Lindy West) on a plane and then landed in London and realised I couldn’t watch it anywhere. I know, woe is me. Cut to Dec 2019 when it was FINALLY made available on iPlayer. It’s funny and cleverly written and its characters have depth and it’s exactly what you want to watch after you move from your desk (or, in my case, my dining table) to the couch.
To Listen… Shameless is the podcast for smart women who love dumb stuff. With a weekly recap episode that drops every Monday (think of it as eavesdropping on two very well read friends with excellent opinions) journalists Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald discuss everything that young women are interested in, from politics to reality TV. Then on a Thursday they drop an In Conversation episode where the pair have gone deep with everyone from Erin Brokovich to Jules Von Hep. The only complaint? That it’s not a daily show.
To Read… An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. If you had told me I would devour a book about aliens, I would ordinarily laugh in your face. But this truly is an absolutely remarkable thing. This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read – both in premise and prose. The plot has pace and Green’s storytelling is unique and delightful as we follow April May and the mysterious appearance of an alien life force known as the Carl’s, our protagonist is catapulted into the spotlight and grapples with her newfound fame. I found myself screaming WHAT HAPPENS NEXT when the book ended, but luckily for me (and you) A Beautifully Foolish Endeavour is coming soon.
Jessica Barrett, Contributing Editor
To Watch... Vanderpump Rules (ITVBe or stream on Hayu). The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spin off, set in West Hollywood restaurant Sur, was launched by the Joan Collins-esque British reality queen Lisa Vanderpump in 2013. VDP is Chrissy Teigen’s favourite show and it’s easy to understand why; it is simply the best reality show of all time. The restaurant workers – now, seven series in, far too famous to even work at Sur anymore, are gorgeous, messy and unscrupulous. The fights are big, the soundbites are meme-able. Look out particularly for Stassi Schroeder, who now has a New York Times bestselling book about how to be basic, and DJ James Kennedy who once described himself as ‘the White Kanye’.
To Listen... The Fake Heiress, a BBC Sounds original podcast investigating the story of Russian-born scammer Anna Delvey’s infiltration of the New York elite, which culminated in a 12-year prison sentence for fraud. While Netflix and HBO both have series in development about the story, one being written by Lena Dunham and the other by Shonda Rhimes, this compelling podcast is made by BBC World reporter Vicky Baker, with some scenes imagined by playwright Chloe Moss, and will leave you wanting to know even more about Delvey.
To Read... Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener. A memoir by a former New York publisher who left her measly salary to launch a new life in Silicon Valley during the tech start up boom. I’ve never been particularly interested in the industry or its wealthy Tech Bros, but seeing it through Wiener’s eyes makes it all far less alienating.
Caz Roberts, Creative Director
To Watch… All series of This Country. We need a laugh more than ever now. Self-isolating in the ‘burbs with nothing to do? Kurtan and Kerry nail that. Or if you've done that, then Nighty Night. If you can stomach some black comedy, the first series of Julia Davis’s brilliant comedy is on iPlayer now. Brutal
To Listen... Guardian’s Today in Focus has the brilliant Anushka Asthana as host, guiding you through the latest big stories (not just the biggest, but all sorts of topics too) with journalists and experts. Informative.
To Read… Plainsong by Kent Haruf. A beautifully told story of a rural community in middle America.
Guy Pewsey, Celebrity Director
**To Watch...**Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: Meet Phryne Fisher, your new style crush with a nose for murder. Returning to 1920s Melbourne after several years gallivanting across the globe, Miss Fisher is wealthy, tenacious and beautiful, but when a man of high society is found dead she finds a new calling as a self-proclaimed Lady Detective. Made by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, this is camp, compelling and very, very funny. Plus, Miss Fisher looks divine in every frame, draped in feathers and diamonds and exhibiting the perfect flapper bob. Her perfect accessory? A pearl-handled revolver. 34 episodes of joy, streaming now on Netflix.
**To Watch...**Gilmore Girls: Buckle up, you’re going to need to pay attention. Mother/daughter combo Lorelei and Rory talk like they’re running out of oxygen, but once you’ve got into their rhythm you will be hooked. From their idyllic town of Stars Hollow, the pair make their way through the trials and tribulations of life and love, raising the question of who is raising whom. And trust me, you are going to love Emily, Lorelei’s overbearingly chic mother. With more than 150 episodes, and a four-hour reunion special, this will see you through. Now on Netflix.
**To Watch...**Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Bear with me. The title may have scared you off back in the Nineties, thanks to its connotations of schlocky horror. But Buffy, a teenage high school student whose side hustle is saving the world from the undead, is one of the most feminist TV programmes in history. With the help of a motley crew of friends, she explores the horrors of the darkness while studying for exams, and it is well-crafted, beautifully written television. Sarah Michelle Gellar deserved far, far more credit for seven series of impressive performances, and the musical episode – Once More With Feeling - is TV genius. Now on Amazon Prime.
Laura Jordan
To read... The stack of partially read (by which I mean, still unread) New Yorkers in my flat is continually taunting me, so now is the time to go in. Intellectual stimulation + a tidier flat = bossing WFH. But for me, when I feel down or unsettled, I turn to David Sedaris. His writing is always, absolutely guaranteed to make me actually LOL with his vigorous, microscopic dissections of the absurdities of every day life – of which there are plenty right now.
Lynn Enright, Acting Digital Director
To Listen... I’ve just started listening to this podcast called The Nobody Zone about an Irish homeless man who apparently, allegedly, seemingly (you’ll find out why I’m using all those caveats) murdered several other men in London between 1953 and 1983. It’s not all online yet but it’s worth starting now.
To Watch... I’m always surprised by how few people have watched The Americans, the show about Russian spies living in the US in the Reagan era. It’s gripping, moving, fun, interesting and its leads are incredibly attractive with great chemistry – it’s literally everything you could ask for from a box set.
To Watch... I know this is really obvious but there are some people who haven’t watched The Wire – and as far as I’m concerned there should be no people who haven’t watched The Wire. I truly think it’s the best TV show ever made – entertaining and empathetic and heart-breaking and enlightening. Just perfect.
Lillian Sesiguzel, Digital Assistant
To Watch… Schitt’s Creek: OK, I might be a little late to the party on this one (six seasons late), but if you’re looking for a hilarious, easy-going comedy, then look no further. If you’re up shit creek, you’ve found yourself in a bad situation, just as the Rose family have. Coming from riches to rags, the family of four have relocated to Shitt’s Creek after losing everything they have, but the clothes on their backs. It’s not as depressing as it sounds, promise! Although, the town’s mayor doesn’t help matters… Each episode is 20 minutes, the perfect little pick-me-up.
To Listen… Bands of the 80’s: Niche, I know, but bear with me… Dead or Alive, Duran Duran, Bananarama, Simply Red, Pet Shop Boys, Wham – the list in never ending, and I’m so glad. All have produced those sing-to-the-top-of-your-lungs songs, that play frequently on Heart Radio. They’re feel good, positive, party classics – get up from your sofa and have a 5 minute jig, you’ll feel better.
To Read… Woman Up by Nell Grecian: I’m currently in the middle of Nell Grecian’s debut novel Woman Up, and I can confirm it’s quite the page turner! Her witty sense of humour and extremely candid account of what it is like to be a twenty something woman in the 21st century makes it hard to put down. It will swiftly become a welcome distraction from your day to day, as you stumble across yet another hilarious, and of course relatable, anecdote about sex, society, body positivity, feminist rant and much more.
Rhiannon Evans, Features and Special Projects Director
To Watch… No Offence: Everybody needs to be in love with DI Vivienne Deering as much as I am. If you’re looking for a series fronted by a cast of amazing ballsy women, this is the one. If you’re looking for black humour, this is the one. If you like a crime procedural you need to follow enough to stay off Twitter and quiet your mind for 55minutes, this is the one. Criminally underrated – this is the perfect thing to spend your evenings in inhaling. Debated whether to even mention this, because as far as I’m concerned it’s the greatest and so I can’t believe you haven’t watched it already, but it’d be remiss of me to recommend TV shows without mentioning The Good Wife and The Good Fight. And in a similar vein, if you’ve not watched The Country, it’s all on iPlayer and you’re missing out. Oh, and the original Julia Davis version of Camping - I couldn't think about much else for a while after I'd watched it... so that might be helpful?
To Listen... I won’t rest until we all listen to Fortunately podcast with Jane Garvey and Fiona Glover, so if you could all get on that, it’d be great. The New York Times Popcast is a fave if you’re a fan of obsessively dissecting pop music.
To Read… Everything by Elizabeth Strout, but first, Olive Kitteridge. Definitely read Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere before it comes onto TV courtesy of Reese Witherspoon. And maybe you've finally got time for Jeffrey Eugenides' wonderful Middlesex.
Shana Lynch, Senior Picture Researcher
To Watch… One Tree Hill: I know everyone’s already seen this, but have you watched it in the past five years? Probably not. From stalker secret brothers to international kidnapping missions, this classic teen drama has enough crazy plot twists to distract you from the madness happening in the real world and all nine seasons can be streamed on Amazon Prime. If you’re in the market for something a bit sweeter, Heartland on Netflix is a Canadian drama about a family horse ranch that is actually much better and less Hallmark-movie than it sounds (and there’s about 12 seasons, so it’ll take a good amount of time to binge.)
To Read… Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty, the author of Big Little Lies, is another drama that’ll keep you on your toes the whole time. Reading What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand will make you feel like you’re on the beach in the Caribbean while thanking your lucky stars your family doesn’t have this much drama – think secret families, helicopter crashes, mob ties, etc.
Nathan Higham, Picture Director
To Watch... The Kingmaker – if the only thing you know about Imelda Marcos is the fact that she has thousands of shoes, this is a must see. Highlighting the importance of her role in the image of the president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, this is a fascinating and often chilling account of the alleged corruption and brutality taking place behind the scenes during the Marcos leadership. Imelda appears like a glamorous eccentric with a seemingly harmless love of opulence, but as director Lauren Greenfield (The Queen of Versailles) digs further, the source of the Marcos endless personal fortune comes to light and it isn’t a pretty site at all.
Jessica Snow, Art Editor
To Watch... I’ve been watching The Stranger and Safe on Netflix. And a lot of my friends are talking about the documentary For Sama, which is available on All 4.
Anna Silverman, Deputy features editor
**To Watch...**Broad City: I’m instantly jealous of anyone who didn’t watch it when it came out and still has it ahead of them. What better distraction from global pandemonium than two hilarious, broke friends tearing around New York dishing up gag after ridiculous gag. Watch that you don’t adopt their anthemic catchphrase ‘YAASSS QUEEN’ after watching, because then you’re really showing how behind with the times you are. Watch on NOW TV
**To Watch...**Chernobyl: If the world isn’t scary enough for you right now and you’re craving a disaster-watch, Chernobyl definitely deserved the critical acclaim it was awarded last year. Despite the uncomfortable viewing (nuclear power plant explosion.. you know the rest) this epic is easy to binge-watch in one or two sittings. Watch on Sky box sets and on NOW TV
**To Listen...**Seek Treatment With Cat and Pat. The podcast that’s about ‘boys, sex, fucking, dating, and love’ but even that doesn’t do it justice. It’s two hilarious New Yorkers talking about everything from reliving the pain of buying new high-school uniforms to interviewing funny friends. Listen on Spotify and Apple
To Read... NW by Zadie Smith. This is Zadie at her finest and although one of her not quite so famous, it’s one of my favourites.
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