What to watch now: six shows to beat the winter blues

In a world of seemingly unlimited TV choices, finding the programs that matter to our viewers is what I love most about my job as Senior Programming Manager. Working with GBH’s Senior Director of Programming, we acquire, curate and schedule shows and films across GBH’s channels and for Passport.

Jackie covers drama and lifestyle content on GBH.org. She is a writer, editor, and content producer with an abiding love for the weirder side of the internet, and the creator, producer and host of GBH's Drama After Dark.

February 02, 2023

Updated April 03, 2024

Ah, winter: the toughest season here in New England, isn’t it? As we brace for bone-chillingly cold temperatures this weekend, it’s time to get cozy and discover your new favorite TV show. Whether you’d rather steer into the skid with something dark to fit the February vibes, or are looking to armchair travel to a sunny resort town, these are the series we recommend you stay in with.

Gloomy, please!
We get it: you like the bleak midwinter! Even just contemplating summer makes you break out in a heat rash. For you, we recommend Modus. This dark murder mystery series is in Swedish, so you’ll need subtitles, but you won’t want to look away from the stark beauty of the landscape anyway. There’s also some absolutely lovely knitwear, which we consider a bonus.

Staying in for the long haul?
If you’re gearing up for a long weekend indoors, then Inspector Lewis , the working-class foil to the erudite Detective Inspector Morse (of Endeavour fame), is your man. With all eight seasons available in GBH Passport, you can spend hours watching Lewis and his cool, cerebral partner Sergeant Hathaway tackle murder and mayhem in the seemingly perfect academic town of Oxford.

If you crave coziness
You knew this was coming: All Creatures Great and Small is, in our opinion, the ultimate cure for winter blues. Gentle found family goodness with a heaping addition of adorable animals? Beautiful scenery? Eye searing sweaters you’ll weirdly grow to love? It’s all there, and all three seasons are available for your viewing pleasure in GBH Passport.

Looking for laughs?
If you’re a fellow fan of British comedies, settle in with Twenty-Twelve — a mockumentary series about the planning of the 2012 London Olympics — and W1A, a spinoff show about life inside the BBC’s London headquarters. Both feature heavy-hitting casts (Hugh Bonneville and Olivia Colman, anyone?) who bring all the laughs. That might be the only thing the fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission is capable of delivering.

Take me anywhere but here
If you’re seeking an escape from frosty weather, your ultimate destination should be Hotel Portofino, a lavish period drama about an expat British family who run an upscale hotel in 1920s Portofino. Think Downton Abbey on the Italian Riviera. The series touches on serious topics like the rise of Nazism and the impact of World War 1, but it’s also a celebration of all things Italian culture. A visit to the Ligurian coast sounds pretty good right about now!

Don’t see anything on this list you like? Think we missed something? Send an email to GBHDrama@wgbh.org or tweet at GBH with the hashtag #DramaConcierge and a few words about what you’re craving, and if you’re lucky, we might put together a list of personalized recommendations just for you, like this one.