Peacock
Look, we get it: There are a lot of big names in the streaming game, so it’s understandable if you end up overlooking Peacock. But you’d be missing out on some goodies. The platform has produced quite a bit of original programming, as well as houses many of NBC’s greatest hits and other popular movies.
If you have Netflix fatigue, your can probably find something new and exciting on Peacock. Below are some of their top original shows to binge watch this winter and all year ’round. There’s comedy, drama, true crime docuseries, and even a few reboots that will scratch that nostalgia itch. Get your remote, get cozy, and log in.
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This show is about a one-hit wonder girl band from the ’90s who think their time in the spotlight is over. Then, a young, hot rapper samples their famous tune and they’re suddenly back in business. This popular comedy follows the gals as they get a chance to get back on top, if they can keep it together.
This isn’t exactly a reboot of the original, more like an extended universe of the Bayside High School story. In this updated tale of a bunch of goofy teens, Zack Morris is California Governer. He isn’t the only returning character; A.C. Slater and Jessie Spano return as a teacher and counselor, respectively. The new students bring a touch more social awareness to the story, moving from a low-income school Governor Morris has closed to the privileged world of Bayside High.
This drama is unique amongst the reboots of hit ’90s shows, turning the light-hearted Fresh Prince of Bel-Air into a much more self-serious drama. It is based on a fan-made short film by Morgan Cooper that started as a joke before becoming very real, and the series ended up having legs. Enjoy the story of a teen from West Philadelphia figuring out how to manage his new environment. But this time, it’s serious.
Rutherford Falls stars Ed Helms as one of the famous Rutherfords of his fictional town and Jana Schmieding as his friend Reagan Wells. Their relationship is put in jeopardy when a local historical statue comes into question, which finds them on opposing sides of a sticky debate. Unfortunately only two seasons long, this fun ensemble show was a breakthrough for Indigenous representation on sitcom TV—and it ended far too soon.
In this crime dramedy, Paulo is a criminal pretending to be a reverend and really not enjoying it. The former mobster had to escape Chicago after making some bumbling errors, and his life in a small town as a fake holy man is not what he pictured. It’s a twist on the small town genre with some violence and chaos thrown in.
Glenn Howerton plays Jack Griffin, a philosophy professor who has come down in the world after losing his job teaching at Harvard. He returns to his home town with his tail between his legs and starts teaching Advanced Placement Biology. All he wants is to get away again, but there is a certain appeal to being home.
Blonde bombshell Angelyne was a real person, but this series is an imaginative take on her life’s history. Based on an investigative story about her from 2017, it tracks the icon’s rise to fame via the billboards she famously adorned. This miniseries starring Emmy Rossum starts as a fun deconstruction of a playful persona, before getting more serious as it digs into the person behind the facade.
Dr. Death is based on the real story offormer neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, who played fast and loose with his Hippocratic oath. The doctor’s decisions led to disabling and then deadly surgeries for his patients. Based on the popular podcast of the same name, this miniseries shows how he was finally taken down.
This comedy from the U.K. focuses on the titular group, an all-female Muslim punk band navigating life and absolutely shredding. It’s funny, engaging, and full of fantastic songs—perfect for young people who aspire to make music without compromising on who they are.
High school students Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, and Cooper are all in the hot seat as they’re accused of the murder of Simon Kelleher. While they may or may not be involved in Simon’s death, they do have secrets to protect. One lie quickly becomes a strand in a web that entangles them all.
Most people are familiar with this story from the Netflix docuseries about the Tiger King and his complicated relationship with big cats and crime. This dramatized series is actually based on the second season of Wondery’s Over My Dead Body podcast, entitled Joe Exotic: Tiger King. It covers much of the same story, but with a higher dose of comedy than the true crime doc offered.
Amber Ruffin once wrote for Seth Myers, and then began appearing in regular segments on his program. She was such a sharp, funny, and engaging voice, she ended up with her own late night talk show that is a breath of fresh air for the medium.
Good Timing with Jo Firestone
In this documentary, comedian Jo Firestone teaches a weekly class at the Greenwich House Senior Center, helping the residents develop their own stand up acts. Firestone is incredibly charming, and so are her group of students who take the stage.
The monsters in this supernatural drama are hidden behind a door and it is teen runaway Carrie’s job to make sure it stays closed. The mining town that Carrie and the door live in is quiet, but strange occurrences make her question her role in it all.
Amy Silva is the Detective Chief Inspector the Scottish Police Service. She’s sent on a mission to HMS Vigil, a submarine where someone has died on board. The death on the nuclear-powered vessel seems to have some connection to the disappearance of an entire Scottish fishing trawler. This tense and exciting mystery is full of twists.
New Orleans musical icon Big Freedia shares the story of her brother’s death as a window into gun violence in America, and how the epidemic disproportionally harms Black communities across the U.S.
John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise
This six-part docuseries tells the story of one of the most notorious serial killers and includes Gacy’s own words. This is a show for the true crime fan who wants even more details about the famous case and alternate theories about what has never been revealed.
In a way, this is a workplace comedy about two hitmen who spend their days kidnapping and killing people at the behest of the infrequently seen crime boss named Mr. K. The show is goofy and the murderers inept, so it makes for light viewing despite the dark subject matter.
Ash Harper is a young space cop and pilot who has been convicted of a treasonous crime—but she’s innocent! Ash takes off across the galaxy with mob leader Tula Quik, looking for a world called Arcadia, where they can both finally be free.
Charismatic hosts and IRL friends Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler enjoy their twist on a home baking competition show. The food is judged by a panel of grandmothers, so you don’t have to depend on the hosts’ baking expertise. But you can enjoy their comedy.
Andy Cohen is the king of reality TV because he knows how to orchestrate chaos. (Have you ever seen a Real Housewives reunion?) In this show, Cohen works with sexologist Shan Boodram and a group of singles dealing with relationship issues. Those issues are based on the ratings of their own exes, so you know things get messy.
This very short documentary is about the devastating effects of the 2011 tsunami that flooded Rikuzentakata, Japan, destroying huge swathes of the city. Two years later, a boat from the town washed up on the shores of Crescent City, California. The story shares how the two towns became connected through one simple gesture.
Gary, a dad played by Josh Gad, is navigating life with his daughter Emma after the death of his wife from cancer. Set in Adelaide, Australia, the show is about how far Gary will go to help fill the void inside his daughter since the loss of her mother, and how he both succeeds and fails.
Based on Aldous Huxley’s 1932 sci-fi novel, Brave New World centers on the utopia of New London, where hedonism thrives and everyone’s lives are predetermined from birth. When John (Alden Ehrenreich), a difficult man who comes from “The Savage Lands,” moves to New London, he stirs trouble, but also finds himself tempted by their perspective to his own detriment.
The world always need new vampire shows. This one is technically a reboot of the 2014 film of the same name, based on the series by Richelle Mead. The story follows Lissa, a royal vampire, and her bestie Rose at their boarding school St. Vladimir’s Academy. Yes, there’s a lot of magic, a lot of romance, and a surprising amount of class consciousness. This is the perfect show to binge watch on a stormy day.
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