Are you smitten by flu season? Have relatives been visiting and you want to hide out? Finding yourself with nothing to do on these dark, cold evenings? Want to keep your cats company on the couch?
Whatever the reason, these television series are worth binge-watching. Each one has several seasons available on DVD (and from the library), with more in the works. Because there’s nothing sadder than getting hooked on a good show and finding out that it has already been canceled.
Sick with the flu: “Downton Abbey.” You’ll feel a camaraderie with the characters who end up in sick beds themselves. But at least you have over-the-counter drugs.
Hiding out from relatives: If you’re hiding from annoying relatives, feel better by comparing them to the zombies in “The Walking Dead.” Or invite the ones you can stand to hide out with you and watch the goofy comedy “Community.” Just like in this show, you may have some odd ones in your bunch, but in the end you’re still family.
Another dark evening: “The Big Bang Theory.” A belly laugh a day will keep the doldrums away when you’re spending time with Leonard, Sheldon and their geeky and awkward friends. If you’d rather be serious, take a trip to the dark side with “Boardwalk Empire” in Prohibition-era Atlantic City.
Snuggling with cats: “Portlandia.” You and your cats can laugh and scoff at the wacky antics of the show’s main characters, who portray everything from long-haired feminist bookstore owners to hide-and-seek league members.
For other scenarios, mix and match the above as needed.