Are you asking yourself what you should watch on Stan? You’ve come to the right place.
Online Australian streaming service, Stan, hosts an excellent array of TV shows- there’s no doubt about it. So, if you are stuck at home and needing endless entertainment, there’s no better place to start than Stan for some great options with everything from classic comedies to gripping dramas.
Keep scrolling to discover the very best TV series to watch on Stan in 2020.
The Bridge
The original series that spurned various language adaptations, The Bridge is an iconic piece of Nordic noir television. Following two police officers – one Danish and the other Swedish – they are brought together by a gruesome discovery on a bridge (hence the name) between the two nations. As each new crime brings a different social issue to the forefront, the cat and mouse game between police and criminal has a fresh take. Throughout the series, the crimes and characters will keep you interested with various twists and turns to keep you on your toes, and the two leads are expertly portrayed and layered characters. The banter and relationship between the two leads is light enough to balance the more gory aspects of the show.
Friends
Catch up on this iconic series – with all episodes on Stan! Whether you are watching Friends for the first time it’s unapologetically your 50th rewatch, tune in and zone out with the classic show featuring the six leads: Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey and Ross. With silly plots, great Nineties’ fashion and unrealistic apartments, it’s an undeniably fun watch. Iconic episodes like The One with the Blackout and The One with the Prom Video make this show the enduring sit-com it is. This show can be hard to find in full and is perfect for when you’re needing to veg out, with so much happening in the news and our lives, sometimes you need something fun and familiar to chill out with after a long day. So which Friends character do you associate yourself with the most?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHvzX2pl2ec
The Handmaid’s Tale
The timely adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale is brought to life by the incredible Elizabeth Moss who is outstanding in the role of Offred. Now renewed for four seasons, with new material not sourced from the books after the first season, this adaptation has been a critical success winning numerous awards throughout its running time. While the oddly almost apocalyptic world the show is set in is dark and twisted, the plot, characters and cinematography (the imagery of the red, blue and green of each class of woman is visually stunning) keeps you coming back for more. This adaptation is updated with current touches that make it feel like it’s happening right now, with the flashbacks to life before Gilead feeling a lot like our life today.
The IT Crowd
One of the most underrated TV shows of all time, The IT Crowd, is here for your enjoyment on Stan. Some of the best moments in TV comedy have come from this series, from the entirety of The Dinner Party to The Final Countdown, this constantly weird and wonderful TV show, while now a little dated, is always good for a light hearted laugh. Featuring a somewhat seamless cast including Hollywood heart throb Chris O’Dowd, Richard Ayoade and Katherine Parkinson – the trio behind Reynholm Industries IT department. For a fun and silly viewing at home, look no further than The IT Crowd.
Killing Eve
It’s pretty safe to say the world (or maybe it’s just us) is obsessed with the insanely talented Phoebe Waller-Bridge who brought us Fleabag, No Time to Die and Killing Eve. Based off book series Codename Villanelle, Waller-Bridge has adapted a thrilling and hilarious TV show, starring Jodie Comer as the ice cold Villanelle – with an enviable wardrobe and apartment. If this hasn’t got you hooked yet, Killing Eve also features Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri, a bored British Intelligence officer, in a thrilling cross continental cat and mouse game where you’re never quite sure who is chasing who and whether they will kill each other or elope together. Fiona Shaw is also a stand out with her performance as Eve’s boss. Watch it for the acting, writing or just the costumes and scenery.
Seinfeld
If you need an escape from the world right now, look no further than the most iconic comedy of all time, somehow a show jam-packed with nothing. Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer are hilarious, neurotic and make delightfully terrible decisions and judgements on everyone and everything they encounter. The characters and jokes are as timeless as they are famous, with the classic stand-up intersecting with the narrative comedy. So if you haven’t seen it so far, see what all the hype is about and watch every episode on Stan!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SclV-UWM4Gw
Bloom
Some home-grown talent on a home-grown streaming service – name a better duo. Bloom (only streaming on Stan) features some of the best actors Australia has to offer, including Academy Award nominated Jacki Weaver. Bloom is set in a fictional Australian town one year after devastating floods killed five people, the drama centres around a mysterious flower blossoms in the exact locations those five individuals died in from the floods. As the series continues older residents return to their youthful prime, bringing back a decade long love triangle, impacting everyone in the town.
Breaking Bad
If you’re sick of hearing ‘what do you mean you’ve never seen Breaking Bad?’, then you can thank Stan for featuring one of the best TV shows made in the golden age of television. Use the time you are spending at home to relax with Breaking Bad – so good that in 2013 it broke the World Record as the most critically acclaimed show of all time. The acting from Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn, the plot, dialogue and minor characters make this one of the best shows you can find – rewatch and be reminded why you were so obsessed, or tune in for the first time.
The Office (US)
This is the show that spawned countless memes thanks to iconic characters like Dwight and Kelly and dream team, Jim and Pam. The Office (US) is an expansive show with 201 episodes over nine seasons, so there is more than enough to binge while you’re chilling at home. Of course, the US version is a reproduction and the original UK version featuring Ricky Gervais and Martin Freeman is also on Stan for those who prefer the drier British humour which the original offers. It’s one of the most binge-able and re-watchable shows out there, a popular go-to for a fun and silly show to distract from the stressors of modern life.
No Activity
Another must-see Australian TV show, No Activity, is a genuinely laugh-out-loud comedy about two bored Sydney detectives on a stake-out, meaning most of the action takes place inside a parked car – a credit to how funny the writing and characters are behind this series. The cast operates in pairs – with two main characters Hendy, young and ambitious (Patrick Brammall who also stars in the US series remake); and Stokes, an off-beat dreamer (Darren Gilshenan). Two loveable criminals Bruce ( David Field) and Jimmy (Daniel Wyllie) bring a lot of laughs and heart to the show, and two dispatch workers, surprisingly dark April (Harriet Dyer) and unpredictable Carol (Genevieve Morris) are both hilarious in their roles. In fact it’s so good, two years after the Australian show was released a US version was created with cast members such as Will Ferrell, Jason Mantzoukas and Amy Sedaris. Both available to watch on Stan.
