Are you looking for something new to watch – and more importantly, a show that you could get through in a few sittings across the space of a weekend? Well you're in luck, because we've compiled a number of boxsets that would fit the bill, and there's something here for everyone.
From Nicole Kidman's murder mystery to an impressive Western period drama, as well as an award-winning BBC comedy series, one of these recommendations is bound to have your weekend viewing sorted.
The English
This 1890-set Western-inspired drama series was a co-production between the BBC and Amazon Studios, and boasted a star-studded cast that was led by Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer as the central characters of Lady Cornelia Locke and Sgt Eli Whipp respectively.
The synopsis describes how "they must face increasingly terrifying obstacles that will test them to their cores, physically and psychologically" and then goes on to explain that it is "after an investigation by the local sheriff Robert Marshall (Stephen Rea) and young widow Martha Myers (Valerie Pachner) into a series of bizarre and macabre unsolved murders" that the "full extent of their intertwined history will be truly understood" and they will have to "come face to face with the future they must live."
The English was widely well received, with critics calling it "a masterclass in the Western genre" (Yahoo!), "one of the most beautifully shot TV shows" (Pajiba) and "strikingly filmic" (Sunday Independent, Ireland). With only one season of six episodes, you'll easily make your way through this in 48 hours.
The English is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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The Four Seasons
If you're looking for a show that balances relatability with laugh out loud moments, The Four Seasons is probably what you're looking for. Essentially, it's an eight-part comedy (that's not always a comedy) which follows a group of long-time friends – made up of three married couples – across a number of their vacations together.
As you can imagine, there's plenty of drama and emotional life moments that come up along the way, and the show – from Tina Fey – explores the importance of deep bonds of friendship as well as the ebbs and flows of longterm romantic relationships.
With each episode around the half-hour mark, and a bunch of characters you'll want to spend time with, this is an easy binge-watch you'll want to keep watching through to the end.
The Four Seasons is available now on Netflix.
Juice
If you're a fan of Mawaan Rizwan (and honestly, why wouldn't you be?) then you need to make sure you don't miss out on his surreal scripted comedy series, Juice. It follows a man called Jamma (played by Rizwan) who often finds himself overshadowed by his chaotic family.
In the series, Rizwan is joined by his real-life mother and brother, Shahnaz and Nabhaan Rizwan, who play the roles of Jamma's family members, and Russell Tovey takes the role of Jamma's boyfriend Guy.
Mawaan Rizwan took home the BAFTA for Best Male Performance in a Comedy for his turn in Juice, beating the likes of David Tennant (for Good Omens) and Joe Gilgun (in Brassic).
With six episodes each around 30 minutes long, it's the ideal weekend comfort show to acquaint yourself with – and there's no better time, as it's been confirmed that the show will return with another season.
Juice is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Ludwig
If Thursday Murder Club-vibes are more your thing, then this is the one for you. With cosy crime capers only getting more popular, Ludwig couldn't have picked a better time to arrive on screens at the end of last year.
The murder-of-the-week mystery is led by accidental detective and expert puzzler John 'Ludwig' Taylor (David Mitchell), while Anna Maxwell Martin and Dipo Ola also star. Ludwig was a big hit, with a near-perfect 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes and the unsurprising news that it will be back for a second season.
Of course if you've already enjoyed Ludwig, check out our list of other cosy crime dramas that you can watch right now.
Ludwig is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
The Perfect Couple
From the boss of The Night Manager and The Undoing, Netflix's star-studded murder mystery was always going to be a compelling and addictive binge-watch experience. This glossy, often over-the-top, drama has a dead body at its centre, with the pieces of the puzzle unfolding over the course of its six episodes.
An immaculately dressed Nicole Kidman leads the cast, and she's joined by Dakota Fanning, Liev Schreiber, Meghann Fahy (who you'll probably recognise from The White Lotus) and Eve Hewson.
The Perfect Couple is available now on Netflix.
Smoggie Queens
We praised this new BBC sitcom as being a stand-out when it first arrived on our screens in late November last year, and if you've not yet caught up you could absolutely make your way through the first series (at just six episodes) in one weekend.
The LGBTQ+ comedy series perfectly balances silliness and fun with a heartfelt tale of chosen family and togetherness. Written by and starring Phil Dunning, Smoggie Queens is set in Middlesbrough and focuses on a group of queer friends.
It clearly struck a chord and made an impact, as we've had word that a second season is on the way – and we've been told to expect "more mad antics and chaotic energy as the Queens take you on (another) ride of your life!"
Smoggie Queens is available now on BBC iPlayer.
Such Brave Girls
This hit BBC sitcom has been described as the "best comedy in years", and the new season – which has just launched – debuted with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Such Brave Girls has been created and written by Kat Sadler, and the story follows single mother Deb Johnson (Louise Brealey), and her daughters Josie (Sadler) and Billie (Lizzie Davidson), as they muddle through life.
The beloved series first aired on BBC Three in the UK in November 2023, and the second season has just dropped on BBC iPlayer from July 2025. It won a BAFTA for Best Scripted Comedy in 2024, where it stood up against Jack Rooke's Big Boys.
Such Brave Girls seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
Nobody Wants This
Unlike the show's title, everyone has been left wanting more from this delightful and refreshing romantic-comedy series after it became something of a phenomenon on Netflix.
It introduced us to rabbi Noah (Adam Brody) and podcaster Joanne (Kristen Bell), whose calm yet passionate relationship put a completely different spin on a genre that's traditionally been littered with toxic and tiresome tropes.
The 10-part series is a breezy and yet still completely engrossing watch, and you'll find yourself cancelling plans to stay with this central couple on their journey towards finding love.
Good job we don't have long to wait for season 2, eh?
Nobody Wants This is streaming now on Netflix, and season 2 will arrive on 23 October, 2025.
Dope Girls
With only six episodes, Dope Girls (which has drawn comparisons with Peaky Blinders) is the perfect boxset experience – and its story is so intoxicating, as we described in our five-star review, that it'll simply keep you wanting more.
Set in the aftermath of World War I, the war heroes are keen to be dropped back into the same society they left behind. Instead, so much has changed, and they find "a newly empowered generation of women [who] are loath to simply return to the kitchen".
Dope Girls is available now on BBC iPlayer.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
