Need something to take the edge off, during or after Thanksgiving? Or maybe an escape from the stress of familial obligation? Are you so full you can't move and need something to entertain you as you digest?
Whatever sends you streaming this Thanksgiving weekend, there are plenty of good options on Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. Here are eight suggestions to make choosing what to watch easier in your turkey- or tofurkey-induced stupor.
Patton Oswalt: Annihilation (Netflix)
Annihilation is Oswalt's first standup special since the death of his wife in 2016. Its mix of comedy and tragedy seems to strike the right chord for familial Thanksgiving gatherings that can be as tense and painful as they are warm and loving.
Marvel's Runaways: Season Premiere (Hulu, November 21)
Best described by my colleague Anna Menta: "The series follows six wealthy teenagers who discover they've inherited special abilities from their parents. Unfortunately, they also learn their parents form an evil, murderous cult (you win some, you lose some), and they are the only ones who can stop them." Ah, perfect for multigenerational viewing.
Related: Why 'Marvel's Runaways' Is Exactly What TV Needs: Teenage Girl Rebellion
Saving Capitalism (Netflix, November 21)
Does your family love arguing about politics and economics at the Thanksgiving table? Here's a documentary you can watch together to stoke the debate—and you might even find something to agree on. Former labor secretary Robert Reich dives deep into issues of inequality and survival. "We are at a critical turning point in this country, and this is dangerous," he warns. "Democracy is a very fragile thing."
She's Gotta Have It (Netflix, November 23)
More than 30 years after Spike Lee's debut film, She's Gotta Have It, launched his career, the director has returned to the subject and characters in a new 10-episode Netflix series. As my colleague Janice Williams wrote, "Culture has finally caught up with Spike Lee. It only took three decades." Catch up with culture as you recover from the family feast.
Related: How 'She's Gotta Have It' is Breaking Double Standards Against Women on Netflix
The Big Sick (Amazon, November 24)
This Amazon original arrives on the streaming platform just in time for you to avoid Black Friday madness. Why deal with hordes of shoppers when you can watch Kumail Nanjiani play a fictional version of himself opposite Zoe Kazan, who portrays Nanjiani's real-life wife Emily Gardner? Even better, the story of two very different (but, in the end, very similar) families being thrown together amid tragedy and finding a great deal to be thankful for is quite fitting.
Related: 'The Big Sick': Kumail Nanjiani and Ray Romano on Playing Future In-Laws and Bombing Live
I Love You, America (Hulu, Thursdays)
Sarah Silverman loves America, with all its flaws and contradictions, which is evident from the first six episodes of her new late-night streaming show. In her Thanksgiving episode—which actually arrives on Wednesday this week—her guests include Ravi Patel, who traces his father's arrival in America, and her sister, Rabbi Susan Silverman. (Warning: A Hulu spokesman confirms that there's no nudity in this particular episode, but the language might not be appropriate for all ages.)
Related: Sarah Silverman on Her 'Brilliant,' 'Stupid,' 'Political' Hulu Show 'I Love You, America'
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
I can't extol the joys of The Great British Baking Show enough. Chief among them: The talented amateur bakers are super nice to one another. In other words, it's clearly not an American reality show. The fourth season arrived on Netflix on November 1, and it's perfect viewing for the post-Thanksgiving food coma that has you sprawled on the couch but not so full that the thought of more food makes you sick.
Chill With Bob Ross (Netflix)
If your food coma is more severe, you might want to click away from the baking show and put on the soothing, mesmerizing sounds of Bob Ross's voice as he paints more than two dozen winter scenes. Just some happy little trees here and a few happy accidents there...
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Stav is a general assignment staff writer for Newsweek. She received the Newswomen's Club of New York's 2016 Martha Coman Front ... Read more
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