There’s a bit of a cruel joke here, as a parent to young children. We’re supposed to limit the amount of “screen time” that our children get. And what limited screen time we do allow in their presence should be family-friendly. So, the only real window to watch our grown-up shows is after they go to bed… at which point we can’t have the TV volume anything above mute. Sigh. And so, when I talk about what I’ve been watching on TV, it’s really extended over a much longer period of time.

Because after the kids go to bed, I really want to go to sleep myself. All this being said, I do have several programs on the go and I’ll eventually get around to watching all of them in some capacity. Perhaps the not-so-subtle irony is newer shows where they release just a single episode each week? Those are the ones I actually keep up with. It’s almost like we want to go back to network scheduled programming again. In any case, here’s what I’m watching on TV these days.

What I’m Watching on Disney+

People who said that Disney+ is only for kids don’t know what they’re missing. For starters, us grown-up types really enjoy reliving our childhood by re-watching ’90s cartoons. Plus, there are plenty of TV shows that aren’t exactly appropriate for children on there too. And then some shows that fall somewhere in between, of course.

  • Atlanta: I got through the first couple seasons of this Donald Glover dramedy (is that a fair categorization?) pretty quickly. While we still don’t have the entire FX series on here, season 3 just dropped on Disney+ and I plan on starting that very soon.
  • Baskets: What do you get when Zach Galifianakis plays an aspiring French-trained clown and Louie Anderson is his mom? If you’re a fan of Zach’s unique brand of weird, deadpan humor, Baskets is a wonderfully awkward riot. I finished the first season not long ago and plan on starting the second season in the next while.
  • Ms. Marvel: I really appreciate how all of these Marvel TV series on Disney+ are so different. From WandaVision to Loki to Moon Knight and now Ms. Marvel? Wow. We could talk about how representation matters (it really does), but I really like the Scott Pilgrim vibes I’m getting from Ms. Marvel’s artistic style.
  • Obi-Wan Kenobi: Set between the events of Episodes III and IV of the main Star Wars movies, this show offers interesting insight into how the former Jedi Knight lived out his early days as a hermit on the deserts of Tatooine. But, let’s be honest, 10-year-old Leia steals the show.
  • Welcome to Earth: We haven’t gotten around to watching another episode of this Will Smith docu-series for some time. Of the episodes we’ve watched, we’ve enjoyed exploring everything from active volcanoes to the darkest depths of the ocean. It’s a big, mysterious, fascinating world out there.

What I’m Watching on Netflix

As I make my journeys through the internet each day, I’m seeing an increasing number of people cancelling their Netflix subscriptions. Yes, rising prices are never fun. Even so, I’d say our family continues to make good use of our account, so we’ll be sticking around for a while, watching shows and movies both new and old.

  • Better Call Saul: Breaking Bad, also available on Netflix, was so good. And this prequel with Saul Goodman when he was still Jimmy McGill is arguably just as good. I’m about halfway through the second season now. Hey look! It’s Tuco! I’m really digging every time we see Mike Ehrmantraut too.
  • Deadly Class: Here’s the TV show answering the question that no one asked. What if Wong from Dr. Strange ran an underground school for teenage assassins? It’s really campy and self-indulgent, but maybe that’s just what we need sometimes to escape from our everyday realities.
  • Servant of the People: The US isn’t the only place with a “former TV celebrity turned political leader” narrative. This TV series starring now Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is almost a case of art mirroring reality mirroring art. (Or is it the other way around?) In this comedy, Zelenskyy plays a teacher who is suddenly elected president of Ukraine.
  • Stranger Things: Admittedly, I haven’t started running up that hill with Kate Bush yet, despite what all the spoilers have already told me. We’re only a couple episodes into the fourth season of Stranger Things, so we’ll really need to finish up this first part before the second part of season 4 drops on July 1. Happy Canada Day, Hawkins.
  • Wild Babies: I grew up watching wildlife documentaries and, truth be told, not a lot has changed on that front for me. While I’m not always a fan of the “let’s name these animals and give them a bit of a false narrative” approach, the cuteness overload (plus narration by Helena Bonham Carter) makes this a worthwhile, family-friendly watch.

What Is On Your Watch List This Month?

Considering that I’ve got several seasons to get through with TV shows like Better Call Saul, Baskets and Servant of the People, it’s obvious enough that I’ll never get to the bottom of my watch list on either Disney+ or Netflix. Not to mention the innumerable movies I’ve been meaning to catch and the countless other shows I haven’t yet begun. We live in a time with an embarrassment of riches… but there’s always more.

And so, I turn to you. What TV shows, both old or new, have your attention these days? Are you exploring the galaxy with Obi-Wan and Leia too? Did you hear that a new season of Squid Game is on the way? How do you feel about Rowan Atkinson in Man vs. Bee?

Disclosure: As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.