Our favorite TV | What to Watch

A few weeks ago, Vox critic-at-large Emily VanDerWerff and film critic Alissa Wilkinson shared their favorite movies. This week they're back with their favorite shows:

The Simpsons on Disney Plus (Emily)

This classic has been on the air since 1989. Not all the jokes will fly today, but looking back on the comedy of the 1990s, The Simpsons seems to have aged the best. Since it's animated and the characters never age, it can continually comment on American life. And it will only take 258 days to watch all 695 episodes!

The Comeback on HBO Max (Alissa)

There are so many good reasons to watch this meta-comedy co-created by Lisa Kudrow (who also stars in it) and Michael Patrick King, the executive producer of Sex and the City. It's funny and binge-able. It cleverly skewers the kind of sexism that was present on the set of sitcoms in the 1990s. And although it's not necessarily cheerful, it has a lot of heart. You'll see new jokes and funny bits with each re-watch. There are 21 episodes in all, each lasting between 25 and 55 minutes.

Deadwood on HBO Max (Emily)

Set in the town of Deadwood, South Dakota, this series follows the town's new sheriff Seth Bullock, played by Timothy Olyphant. He's not trying to be law enforcement. He just wants to have a quiet life opening a hardware store. Deadwood is a Western, yes, but it explores the ways in which we construct civilization and societies are born — the ways America was born. There's tension between the need for individuality and the need for community. And this is one of best shows at believably tracing a really terrible person's movement toward getting involved with his community. There are three seasons and a wrap-up movie. You can watch all in around 35 hours.

High Maintenance on HBO Max (Alissa)

At face value, this is a show about buying weed. But it's really about all the different characters that the weed dealer — the connecting thread of each episode — comes into contact with. We meet people from all walks of life who have weird jobs, weird problems, weird fetishes, weird predicaments. You won't get long, drawn-out character arcs with this show, just little snippets of people's lives. Every episode is delightful. There are 34 in all, and there's even one that's entirely from the perspective of a (very good) dog.

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