Streaming binges come in different forms. Sometimes, you want a show that you can finish in one sitting or over the weekend. It’s usually a limited series or single-season show with eight or fewer episodes. I enjoy watching those shows when I can’t commit to something with multiple seasons.
However, there are occasions when I want a long-running show I can sink my teeth into and watch over the course of a month. I always have a list of shows that I’ve been meaning to stream but can never find time to watch. Now’s your chance to cross one of these shows off your list. I respect people who can plow through 10-plus seasons in one month, though it’s a tall task. Five to eight seasons is much more manageable.
Frankly, you don’t need my advice on pantheon shows, like The Sopranos, The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Office. I have six more long-running shows that you can finish in a month.
If you don’t want to rush, then by all means, space out your streaming. If you decide to finish the show in two months, then do that instead. The point of this piece is to put shows on your radar, especially if you’re looking for a classic show to watch.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
A police procedural with a comedic twist
When I think of police procedurals, my mind goes to gritty dramas like NYPD Blue, Homicide: Life on the Street, and Chicago P.D. Michael Shur, who wrote episodes of The Office and co-created Parks and Recreation, injected his workplace style of comedy into a cop show in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. After his time on SNL, Andy Samberg stars as Jake Peralta, a skilled but juvenile detective in the NYPD’s 99th precinct in Brooklyn.
Jake is in for a rude awakening with the arrival of Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher), who has a more no-nonsense and serious attitude toward police work. The yin and yang nature of Samberg as a lovable goof and Braugher as a deadpan captain works perfectly. You can motor through 153 episodes with 21-minute runtimes. The Backstreet Boys cold open in season 5 remains the show’s crowning achievement.
Friday Night Lights
God, family, and high school family
Say it with me: Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. I had chills watching that speech from Coach Eric Taylor in the Friday Night Lights pilot. Following the success of the movie, Peter Berg developed Friday Night Lights into a television show that ran for 76 episodes over five seasons. The show features one of the best pilots of the 21st century—a perfect episode of television that will hook you from the start.
While set in the world of high school football, Friday Night Lights is more focused on the characters and their motivations off the field, including Coach Taylor (Eric Taylor), Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), and Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch). This show aged so well that some consider it one of the greatest of all time.
Entourage
Baby bro!
If you caught Entourage at the right age—12 to 35—during the mid-2000s, it’s probably one of your favorite comedies. Once Vincent Chase and the boys drive down the Sunset Strip during the opening credits, you’re not moving for the foreseeable future. The titular entourage features actor Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier); Eric “E” Murphy (Kevin Connolly), Vince’s best friend and manager; Johnny “Drama” Chase (Kevin Dillon), Vince’s older brother and struggling actor; and Salvatore “Turtle” Assante (Jerry Ferrara), Vince’s other friend.
The foursome is all trying to make it in Hollywood, one way or the other. Most of the crew rides Vince’s coattails, but by the end of the show, the boys form their own paths. Trying to keep them out of trouble is Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), Vince’s brash agent who becomes the funniest character on the show. The show has 96 episodes that run between 20 and 35 minutes. I actually completed this binge in four weeks. It’s an addictive comedy that starts hot, loses its way, and finishes strong. Victory!
Nurse Jackie
Carmela Soprano heads to the hospital
Edie Falco is TV royalty because of her performance as Carmela Soprano on The Sopranos. Where in the world do you go after starring in one of television’s most iconic shows? Well, you switch genres and head to the hospital. Falco put on her scrubs to play the titular role in Nurse Jackie, a Showtime dramedy that ran for 80 episodes over seven seasons.
Jackie Peyton (Falco) works in the emergency room in New York City’s All Saints’ Hospital. Jackie is what you call a patient’s best friend because she will move heaven and earth to treat those in need, even if she has to find some loopholes along the way. Jackie’s not perfect, though, as she struggles with an addiction to painkillers. That might sound like a tragic story, and the show doesn’t shy away from its portrayal of addiction. It’s very smart, and more importantly, funny, proving that Falco is an all-time great on television.
Yellowstone
The Dutton Empire begins
When Yellowstone initially premiered in 2018, it garnered a decent audience. Kevin Costner, a movie star, headlining a television show on cable TV was significant. It’s a Western soap opera about the Dutton family and their fight to protect Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. It’s the type of show that would have thrived on one of the major networks in the 1980s and 1990s.
COVID-19 happened, and this show exploded in popularity. I’m talking about the most-watched scripted show on cable during those final seasons. All 53 episodes can be streamed on Peacock, not Paramount+. You can watch Taylor Sheridan’s other shows on Paramount+, but Yellowstone lives on Peacock due to a licensing agreement signed before the show took off. I bet Paramount wants a do-over on that deal.
More shows to stream
The five shows mentioned above have ended their runs on streaming. If you’re looking for new shows, check out Euphoria season 3 on HBO Max and The Boys season 5 on Prime Video. For basketball fans, check out Made for March, a Paramount+ documentary about the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
