I think the first show I ever binge watched was Sex and the City on dvd 10 years ago; I hadn’t even watched a single episode until it went off the air. This was way back when we actually watched tv shows and movies on dvd, and got red Netflix envelopes in the mail. Now with on demand streaming from Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, binge watching is a regular thing, and I think shows are actually much more enjoyable when you can watch them all at once.

Most moms have a lot of time to binge watch tv shows during maternity leave in between long nursing sessions and constantly holding your newborn. There are perennial critic and audience favorites like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, etc. But when it comes to maternity leave, I think the best type of shows to watch are ones that are a little more light-hearted and a bit of a guilty pleasure. So these are the top 12 shows that are recommended by Hellobee community members over and over again to binge watch, as well as 88 other recommendations in drama, comedy, reality, and more!

100 BEST SHOWS TO BINGE WATCH

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M O S T  R E C O M M E N D E D
Gilmore Girls – 7 Seasons
Parenthood – 6 Seasons
Friday Night Lights – 5 Seasons
Orange is the New Black – 3 Seasons
The Good Wife – 6 Seasons, still on air
Suits – 4 Seasons, still on air
Friends – 10 Seasons
Grey’s Anatomy – 11 Seasons, still on air
Gossip Girl – 6 Seasons, Netflix
Call the Midwife – 4 Seasons, still on air
Downton Abbey – 5 Seasons, still on air
Sherlock – 3 Seasons, still on air

R E A L I T Y
reality shows
Vanderpump Rules – 3 Seasons
Naked and Afraid – 4 Seasons, still on air
Real Housewives Orange County, Beverly Hills, Atlanta, New York, New Jersey, Miami, DC – still on air
Keeping Up with the Kardashians – 10 Seasons
The Little Couple – 7 Seasons, still on air
HGTV – Property Brothers – 4 Seasons, still on air, Netflix
HGTV – House Hunters – 164 Episodes, still on air, Netflix
HGTV – Flip or Flop – 2 Seasons, still on air, Netflix
Food Network – Pioneer Woman – 12 Seasons, still on air

R E A L I T Y  G A M E  S H O W S

Face Off – 8 Seasons, still on air
Amazing Race – 26 Seasons, still on air
American Ninja Warrior – 6 Seasons, still on air
Survivor – 30 Seasons, still on air
Big Brother – 16 Seasons, still on air
Project Runway – 13 Seasons, still on air
Top Chef – 12 Seasons, still on air
Masterchef – 5 Seasons, still on air
Food Network – Chopped – 23 Seasons, still on air, Netflix
Food Network – Cutthroat Kitchen – 8 Seasons, still on air
Shark Tank – 6 Seasons, still on air

C R I M E  /  P R O C E D U R A L
crime shows
Blacklist – 3 Seasons, still on air, Hulu, Netflix
Law & Order SVU – 16 Seasons, still on air, Hulu
Criminal Minds – 10 Seasons, still on air, Netflix
Bones – 10 Seasons, still on air, Hulu
Castle – 7 Seasons, still on air, Hulu
White Collar – 6 Seasons, Netflix

A C T I O N  /  T H R I L L E R
thriller
Orphan Black – 3 seasons, still on air, Amazon Prime
Scandal – 4 Seasons, still on air, watch free at IMDB
How to Get Away with Murder – 1 Season, still on air
Homeland – 4 Seasons, still on air
Prison Break – 4 Seasons
24 – 8 Seasons, Amazon Prime

D R A MA 

drama
House of Cards – 3 Seasons, still on air, Netflix
Empire – 1 Season, still on air
Mad Men – 7 Seasons
House – 8 Seasons
Six Feet Under – 5 Seasons, Amazon Prime
Weeds – 8 Seasons
Breaking Bad – 5 Seasons
Better Call Saul – 1 Season, still on air
Sons of Anarchy – 7 Seasons, Amazon Prime, Netflix
The Wire – 5 Seasons, Amazon Prime
The Killing – 4 Seasons, Netflix, Amazon Prime
True Detective – 1 Season, still on air
The West Wing – 7 Seasons
Dr Who – 9 Seasons, still on air
Twin Peaks – 2 Seasons, Free at IMDB, Netflix
Nurse Jackie – 7 Seasons
True Blood – 7 Seasons, Amazon Prime
The Walking Dead – 5 Seasons, still on air
American Horror Story – 4 Seasons, still on air, Amazon Prime, Netflix
Dexter – 8 Seasons, Amazon Prime
Brothers and Sisters – 5 Seasons, Amazon Prime

Y O U N G  A D U L T
ya
Pretty Little Liars – 6 Seasons
Vampire Diaries – 6 Seasons, still on air, Netflix
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – 7 Seasons, Amazon Prime
Veronica Mars – 3 Seasons, Amazon Prime
Jane the Virgin – 1 Season, still on air
Hart of Dixie – 4 Seasons, watch free on IMDB, Netflix
Supernatural – 10 Seasons, still on air
One Tree Hill – 9 Seasons, Netflix

S O A P Y
soapy
Mistresses – 2 Seasons, currently on air, Watch free on IMDB & Hulu
Desperate Housewives – 8 Seasons, Watch on IMDB
Revenge – 4 Seasons, Watch on IMDB, Netflix
Nashville – 3 Seasons, Watch on IMDB & Hulu

C O M E D Y
comedy
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – 1 season, still on air, Netflix Only
Grace and Frankie – 1 Season, still on air, Netflix
Veep – 4 Seasons, still on air, Amazon Prime
Girls – 4 Seasons, Amazon Prime
Scrubs – 9 Seasons
Frasier – 11 Seasons, Amazon Prime
Arrested Development – 5 Seasons, Amazon Prime
Big Bang Theory – 9 Seasons, still on air
30 Rock – 7 Seasons
How I Met Your Mother – 9 Seasons, Amazon Prime
Seinfeld – 9 Seasons, Hulu
Modern Family – 6 Seasons, still on air, Hulu
Brooklyn 99 – 1 Season, still on air, Hulu
The Mindy Project – 3 Seasons, still on air, Hulu
The New Girl – 4 Seasons, Hulu, Netflix
The Office – 9 Seasons
Parks and Recreation – 7 Seasons, Amazon Prime, Netflix
Entourage – 8 Seasons
Sex and the City – 6 Seasons

S C I  –  F I  /  F A N T A S Y
scifi
Flash – 1 Season, currently on air, Hulu
Agents of SHIELD, 2 Seasons, still on air, IMDB, Hulu, Netflix
Once Upon a Time – 4 Seasons, still on air, watch on IMDB, Hulu, Netflix
Battlestar Galactica – 4 Seasons
Lost – 6 Seasons
X-Files – 9 Seasons, Amazon Prime, Netflix
Game of Thrones – 6 Seasons

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I watch most shows after the season ends or when they go off the air because I love binge watching. So what am I currently watching?

Recently finished: Orange is the New Black, Suits, Unbreakable, Frankie and Grace
Currently watching: Frasier (old), Mistresses
Need to catch up on: The Good Wife, Downton Abbey, Orphan Black
Favorite new tv shows: iZombie, Brooklyn 99
Favorite guilty pleasure: Rupaul’s Drag Race and Naked and Afraid
Shows on my to-watch list: Parenthood, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Mad Men

Some off the beaten path shows/not included above I’d recommend: Better Off Ted, Episodes, Damages, and when we go old school, Golden Girls and The Nanny!

One of Mr. Bee’s favorite shows is Bored to Death, but he’s a little biased since it’s filmed in Brooklyn.

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I know there are so many great shows out there, and I could have easily made this list much longer, but I included the most common recommendations from Hellobee users.

What did you watch on maternity leave? What other shows would you add to this list… particularly ones that might not be as well known?