Two words that can put a smile on anyone’s face, and those two words are spring break.
We have been grinding over the last eight weeks, some more than others, but we all deserve a week of relaxation. While some people will take trips, others will take the opportunity to work and make that dinero.
While both outcomes are acceptable, hopefully you’ll find some downtime and turn on the TV.
You’ll scroll through thinking what to watch. That’s where I come in.
I have cultivated a list of shows that can be easily binged over this spring break. The shows range from crime dramas to dystopian futures to laugh-out-loud comedies.
Note that these shows are on different streaming services, so you may have to bum a subscription from a friend.
But without further ado, it’s showtime, folks.
1. Ted (2024-2026) | Peacock
I’m going to start off strong, and I’ll admit it, this show is better than the Ted movies.
In this fever dream of a television show, viewers follow everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed teddy bear, Ted, and his best friend, John, during high school.
Of course, you have Seth MacFarlane returning to voice Ted, but newcomers to the franchise, Max Burkholder (John Bennet), Alanna Ubach (Susan Bennet), Scott Grimes (Matty Bennet), and Giorgia Whigham (Blaire), feel like they were made for this show.
The cast riffs off each other perfectly.
From Blaire’s liberal beliefs to Matty’s Reagan-era ideals, they make for a hilarious dynamic. Ubach steals every scene she is in, portraying the soft and innocent matriarch of the family.
The show captures an imperfect family in a coming-of-age comedy. Even if you think Family Guy isn’t funny, give this show a try.
MacFarlane’s humor was at an all-time high in this show. There are a multitude of episodes where I am crying from laughing so hard.
So please grab your thunder buddy and turn this show on during the break.
2. Task (2025-?) | HBO Max
Brad Ingelsby, creator of Mare of Easttown, is behind the wheel of this hit HBO show.
The show follows Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo), a former priest-turned-FBI agent, and Robbie Prendergrast (Tom Pelphrey), a desperate working-class father who has taken up the hobby of robbing trap houses. Brandis is put on a case, and he has to create a task force made up of local officers to thwart robberies.
Although this might seem like another cat-and-mouse crime show, it most certainly is not. Both men are portrayed as emotionally broken people. They are both dealing with the demons of the past.
The show is heartbreakingly beautiful at times.
When Emmy nominations come around, don’t be shocked when you see Ruffalo and Pelphrey nominated.
3. Smiling Friends (2022-2026) | HBO Max
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be on drugs?
If so, watch this show.
Smiling Friends follows Pim and Charlie, who work at Smiling Friends, a non-profit specializing in making people smile. Charlie is a Debbie Downer, while Pim tries to see only the best in people.
Although this seems like a pretty normal premise, it’s not. Charlie and Pim are sent on the wildest jobs imaginable to get people to smile.
The show is chaotic and unpredictable in all the best ways and in no way politically correct.
Other characters, such as Allan, Glep, and the show-stopping Mr. Boss, help round out this wild mess of a show. Even with the chaotic nature, the show is a surprise love letter to animation, balancing a multitude of styles.
Episodes are only around 15 minutes long, perfect for a quick laugh in between your spring break activities, so why not give this show a shot?
4. Daredevil (2015-2018), Defenders (2017), Daredevil: Born Again (2025-?) | Disney+
I’m breaking the rules for this one.
I’m giving you three shows for the price of one.
These shows follow the character Matt Murdock, a blind Catholic attorney who fights crime at night as the vigilante Daredevil.
These are Marvel shows, but they aren’t made for children. These shows are dark and show the weight of being a street-level hero.
Daredevil doesn’t fight Avengers-level threats. He’s out there fighting whatever the streets throw at him, from human traffickers to corrupt cops to organized crime. The show captures Matt’s struggles with his faith and his nighttime activities.
Charlie Cox has played the titular character for over a decade and continues to do so. Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again releases March 24. This is a continuation of the original Netflix shows Daredevil and The Defenders, a street-level team-up show in which Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage meet for the first time.
The original show is still one of my all-time favorites, plus it earns brownie points for introducing the world to Jon Bernthal’s Punisher.
A third season of Born Again will begin taping soon, so it’s a safe bet to become invested in the world of Matthew Murdock.
5. The Righteous Gemstones (2019-2025) | HBO Max
Did you pray today? If not, turn on The Righteous Gemstones and let the wisdom of Uncle Baby Billy guide you.
Danny McBride’s dark satire The Righteous Gemstones follows a megachurch run by the Gemstone family, patriarch Dr. Eli Gemstone (John Goodman), and his adult children, Jesse Gemstone (Danny McBride), Judy Gemstone (Edi Patterson), and Kelvin (Adam DeVine).
These folks are filthy rich and believe the Lord is running through their veins. The show displays the hypocrisy of mega churches.
These people are sinners and believe their shit doesn’t stink, which makes for some funny television.
The show is only elevated by Walton Goggins’ performance as the toe-tapping angelic conman, Uncle Baby Billy Freeman.
If you’re not religious, watch this show. If you are religious, watch this show.
6. Hacks (2021-?) | HBO Max
This dark comedy is truly outstanding.
Hacks follows Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), a legendary egotistic Vegas comic who feels like her career is coming to an end. Vance hires Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder), a young writer who has recently been canceled because of some tweets. Together, they form an unlikely bond to try to save each other’s careers.
They bicker with each other and clash over beliefs, but learn to compromise and appreciate one another over time.
This hit HBO Max show captures the brutal, cutthroat nature of the entertainment industry for women.
Smart has now won four consecutive Emmys for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her dazzling portrayal of Vance.
I could pinpoint the exact moment in episodes where I thought, “Yep, she just won that Emmy again.”
Instead of me telling you about this, why not turn the show on and find out for yourself?
7. Peacemaker (2022-2025) | HBO Max
Christopher Smith cherishes peace with all his heart. He doesn’t care how many men, women, and children he needs to kill to get it.
At least that’s what he said in James Gunn’s way better 2021 film, The Suicide Squad.
Peacemaker, also created by James Gunn, follows the titular character after the events of the film.
Smith is back in his hometown with his pet bald eagle, Eagly, and is quickly brought back into the world of black ops with a ragtag crew of Argus agents and his stalker/friend, Viligtante.
This is a mature comedy that surprisingly has some deep emotional moments. John Cena was born to play Peacemaker, delivering iconic lines including “Eat peace, motherfucker.”
During press events, Cena wore his goofy superhero outfit along with the iconic helmet.
Honestly, this show is bloody amazing because of James Gunn’s direction and humor. I promise you, after you watch the straight-face dance number theme song, including the whole cast, you’ll be begging for more.
P.S. You don’t have to watch The Suicide Squad to watch the show, but you’ll be missing out on a great time.
8. Tulsa King (2022-?) | Paramount+
Sylvester Stallone stars as a mafia capo who, after serving 25 years, is exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in Tulsa King.
Stallone plays Dwight “The General” Manfredi, who starts to build his own criminal empire in this “fish-out-of-water” story.
In the first season, the writers try to take themselves seriously, but by the second, they lean into the humor of Stallone being a made man.
This show is a guilty pleasure of mine. It is funny even when it’s not supposed to be. Tulsa King has everything you expect from a mafia story, but in a rural setting.
However, even at 79, Stallone still has the star power to keep eyeballs glued to the screen as a fourth season is underway and a spin-off starring Samuel L. Jackson is in development.
This break might be the perfect time to see what makes this peculiar show so special.
9. Watchmen (2019) | HBO Max
Who watches the watchmen?
Watchmen is a spiritual sequel to the prestigious graphic novel of the same name. The show takes place 34 years after the events of the original story, and to answer your question, you do not need to have read the novel or watch the decent movie adaptation to watch the show.
After a white supremacist group attacks cops in their homes, police officers wear masks to hide their identity. Again, this seems like a superhero show, but this is an outstanding HBO drama that won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series.
The show follows Angela Abar (Regina King), who is a detective in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Abar’s world is thrown upside down when she starts to investigate the murder of a dear friend.
King’s performance in the show is mesmerizing, which earned her an Emmy for Best Actress in a Limited Series. Her performance is elevated by her costars Jeremy Irons, Jean Smart, Don Johnson, Louis Gossett Jr., Tim Blake Nelson, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Watchmen is in an alternate timeline from our own; it’s weird but exquisite.
The show will only make sense once you get to the last episode, so don’t stop watching.
10. Reacher (2022-?) | Prime Video
Based on the hit book series by Lee Child, Alan Ritchson stars as Jack Reacher, a retired army major, who wanders across the country, stopping trouble along the way.
The show is very action-heavy. Each season is based on a different book in the series, but not in the traditional sense.
Season one is book one, season two is book 11, season three is book seven, and the upcoming fourth season is book 13.
Ritchson, who was known for his comedic chops, reinvented himself as a serious action star with this role. His aura is unmatched in this show.
If you like a show where the main character hates bullies and then kicks their asses, then turn this Prime Video hit on immediately.
11. The Boys (2019-2026) | Amazon Prime
“Oi, Hughie.”
This hit Amazon show asks the question, “What if superheroes are bad people?”
A group of regular folks forms “The Boys” to take down and kill superheroes.
The Boys are led by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), a man filled with rage and a death wish who personally wants to kill the leader of The Seven, this universe’s equivalent to the Justice League.
The leader of The Seven is The Homelander (Antony Starr), a sociopath who only cares about how the world sees him, a god amongst men.
The original comic the show is based on is a parody of both Marvel and DC. The series follows suit, and it loves to parody real-world events.
Why does the show do this, you may ask? The “world’s greatest superhero,” Homelander, would answer this question with, “Because I can do whatever the fuck I want!”
The show is ultra-violent and disturbing at times, which makes it awesome. The world-building in this show is next-level, and there’s real passion behind it.
Each season finds new ways to top the previous ones.
With the final season starting on April 8th, this break is a great time to start or catch up on the madness.
12. Fallout (2024-?) | Prime Video
Fallout is based on the hit video game franchise by Bethesda.
If you have never played any Fallout game, then you’re in luck because you don’t have to play the game to watch the show.
The show itself is set in a post-apocalyptic world where people live in vaults to survive the nuclear blasts. The show follows Lucy (Ella Purnell), an innocent vault dweller forced to explore the wasteland to find her kidnapped father.
On her journey, she meets The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), a mutated man who is dressed like a cowboy, and Maximus (Aaron Moten), a member of the Brotherhood of Steel.
The show manages to balance these three protagonists well. Each character has moments to shine. But let’s be honest, Goggins’ portrayal of The Ghoul is the best part of the show, especially when he has “the big iron on his hip.”
Fallout has dynamic characters and an endless number of stories to tell, as a third season is underway, so give this show a chance over break.
No matter what you do over spring break, have fun and try to do something new. In this case, try giving one of these shows a shot.
Now stop reading this article and go enjoy spring break.
You’ve earned it.
