All the shows Glasgow students should watch during lockdown

Binge something besides Bridgerton this Lockdown


With another lockdown announced, life is pretty boring for students at the moment. Most people will be looking for a new TV show to binge, but if you think you’ve already watched most things during the first lockdown, then theres hopefully something on this list that you’ve not seen yet.

Dark – Netflix

Imagine Stranger Things, but in German and with time travel, and a lot more confusing. A young boy goes missing leading to townspeople discovering that there are secrets spanning generations in the small town of Winden. If you want something to really get lost in, with twists, turns, and unbelievable payoffs, Dark is the perfect show. Just a fair warning: it requires quite a lot of concentration.

Crashing – Netflix/All4

Did you enjoy Fleabag? Then this may be the show for you. Crashing was the  show Phoebe Waller-Bridge made before Fleabag, and while it’s a bit more of an ensemble sitcom, it’s still incredibly her. It’s a comedy about a group of 20-somethings living as property guardians in a disused hospital getting up to all sorts of shenanigans with a lot of big personalities. It’s also one of the easiest shows to watch – with six episodes only 25 minutes long, it only takes a few hours to binge.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency – Netflix

This is  such a bizarre and quirky show, and yet feels exactly right somehow. Starring Elijah Wood from Lord of the Rings, Dirk Gently follows the story of an ordinary, down-on-his-luck hotel bellboy who is reluctantly dragged into the insane world of ‘Holistic’ detective Dirk Gently, who solves crimes by relying on the universe conveniently presenting him with all the necessary clues. There is a variety of LGBTQ+ identities represented among the characters in this series.

Ackley Bridge – Netflix/all4

If you grew up watching Waterloo road, then the dynamics of this programme will be quite familiar to you.  The show is set in a recently merged secondary school in a largely segregated Yorkshire town, and the culture clash between the White and Asian communities is explored in great detail, as well as sexuality, relationships, and a range of different social issues faced by teenagers today.

Mindhunter – Netflix

If you’re interested in true crime, then Mindhunter is the show for you. It follows FBI agents in the 1970s as they begin the early work on studying serial killers’ minds to understand the psychology of their actions, laying the groundwork for what would later be known as profiling. With a wicked soundtrack as well as cameos from all your favourite American serial killers, Mindhunter is a dark and twisted take on criminal investigation, and well worth a watch if you like that sort of thing.

Anne with an E – Netflix

This is an updated take on the Anne of Green Gables books by  L.M. Montgomery. It follows the story of orphan Anne Shirley, who comes to live on a farm on Prince Edward Island, Canada, in the mid-19th century. Unusually for a period drama, this show explores issues such as class and gender inequality, feminism, homosexuality, freedom of speech, and persecution of indigenous peoples, and it has some absolutely stunning visuals.

Brassic – NowTV/sky

Think Guy Ritchie-esque crime comedy-drama, with an incredibly truthful and intimate exploration of mental health – that’s how I would describe Brassic. It was created by Joseph Gilgun, who you might recognise from works such as This is England and Misfits, and is a semi-autobiographical look at his experiences growing up in a small Lancashire town, as well as what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

It’s time for the fourth edition of Glasgow’s Love in Lockdown

An Ode to HIVE

Things you’ll understand if you live with a Glasgow film Student