We have no idea what’s going to happen. We don’t know who’s going to win the election, when we’ll know the results, or how Trump and his cronies will respond to any of it. We do know that sitting in front of the TV, watching mostly white male pundits flap their jaws in the face of all this uncertainly sounds like torture. They don’t know what’s going to happen either and they’ll mostly just repeat themselves as facts trickle in.
It’s only the future of the free world at stake! There’s got to be a better way. So while we’ll definitely be following favorites like Soledad O’Brien and Jean Guerrero on Twitter, we need something to distract us so as not to go insane. And we bet you do too. So check out our recommendations about what to watch instead of repetitive election coverage.
The Political
If you just can’t think of anything besides politics, we don’t blame you. It’s pretty all-consuming right now. But that doesn’t mean you can’t turn off CNN and escape the 2024 election cycle for a hot minute, assuming you already did your thing in terms of participation (and I bet you did because voter turnout is HIGH and I got A LOT of texts about the candidates/propositions/etc.).
So if you want to feel optimistic about the power of democracy, check out No. Starring our forever crush Gael Garcia Bernal, this delightful film follows how Chile overturned brutal dictator Pinochet through optimism and voting. Sounds good right?
If you’re more reveling in cynicism, go back to 1999’s Election, starring Reese Witherspoon. This high school satire has a scathing view of ambition, politics, and general human nature so it just might be what you want to watch right now.
Or if you’re more in the middle, feeling neither hopeful nor an impending sense of doom, go ahead and re-watch Scandal. At least in this fictional universe, everyone in office is beautiful and election rigging is purely a domestic affair. May we also recommend The Diplomat? Keri Russell as a high-powered ambassador and potential VP is phenomenal.
The Warm and Fuzzy
But maybe you want to get as far away from politics as humanly possible. Maybe you just want to watch something under a warm blanket that makes you feel cozy and optimistic. In that case, binge our favorite family comedies and restore your sense of basic human decency.
Having recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, Jane the Virgin will always hold a special place in our hearts and now that we know how the whole love triangle thing ends, we can watch without worrying. So perhaps start your re-watch election night and just keep going until we know who the next President is?
Or take this moment to enjoy One Day At A Time. It’s one of the rare shows about a Latinx family that got more than two seasons and its star power is undeniable (as they said on the premiere of This is Us, “you don’t cancel Rita Moreno”).
If you’re too worried about your actual family to watch a Latinx show, let us suggest Our Lady Jane. It may have gotten just one season, but that season had all of BookTok talking.
The Ultimate Distractions
But perhaps you’re not in the mood to be comforted. Maybe you just need something that will distract you long enough to know what the next fight will be. If that’s your situation, watch Killing Eve. You’ll be dying to know what happens next, what Villanelle wears next, and how Sandra Oh manages to be so incredible at everything she does.
If lady spies aren’t your thing (or you’re watching with a man-friend), slip into early aughts nostalgia with the newest Roswell. I believe it technically takes place today but the songs and costumes harken to an earlier era. Plus star Jeanine Mason is the heroine we need right now.
Lastly, let us recommend Away. Go ahead and skip the first episode of this Hilary Swank vehicle if you want to get distracted and you’ll quickly be sucked into the real-life dangers astronauts face. This series gets so much drama out of a spacewalk, a case of mono, even just watering a plant, it’s amazing. Plus, you know, human goodness triumphs in the end.
This post, “What to Watch Instead of Election Coverage” has been updated from its original, 2020 version. I can’t believe we’re back here, can you?
