Self-isolation has allowed me time to occupy my favorite spot on the couch and catch up with shows I have been meaning to indulge in. The downside is that I’ve had to face the list of shows I have absolutely no interest in watching but were recommended to me by well-meaning friends. Instead of sitting through these, I’ve compiled a watch-list centered on my current sardonic outlook on the world. There is plenty of end-times entertainment that feels relevant to our COVID-19 situation, spanning the gamut from sitcom to serial. This collection is a highly opinionated yet incredibly definitive collection of apocalypse-specific content for isolated individuals. 

TV Comedies That Feel All Too Relevant

“The Last Man on Earth”

If you are feeling like you might not make it out of this one alive, Will Forte’s post-apocalyptic comedy show hits the nail on the head. Forte plays former bank employee Phil Miller who thinks he is the only survivor of a cataclysm until he runs into Carol Pilbasian, played by Kristen Schaal, and believes that the two of them are essential to saving the human race. 

Available to stream on Hulu

“The Good Place”

If being in quarantine has you feeling like you’re stuck in the Bad Place, it is only fitting to stream Michael Schur’s sitcom genius. Kristen Bell stars as “Arizona trash” Eleanor Shellstrop who ends up in the part of the afterlife called “The Good Place.” When she is lead around the neighborhood by its “architect,” Michael, played by Ted Danson, she discovers that she doesn’t belong there. 

Available on Netflix, Hulu and NBC

Instead of binge-watching full seasons, there are a few choice episodes of beloved shows that revolve around pandemic panic so perfectly that they deserve honorable mentions.

“Parks and Recreation”

“Flu Season” (Season 3, Episode 2); “Emergency Response” (Season 5, Episode 15) and“Flu Season 2” (Season 6, Episode 19)

Available on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.

“30 Rock”

“Flu Shot” (Season 3, Episode 8)

Available on Hulu and Amazon Prime

This Season’s Topical Movie Masterpieces

“Parasite”

This dark Korean-language thriller from Bong Joon-ho that swept the most recent Academy Awards speaks to the fear and sense of infiltration that surrounds our current world. The film follows a destitute family that weaves its way into the household of a rich family. There are bonus points if you watch this film in COVID isolation with a xenophobic family member. 

Available to rent on YouTube, Google Play and Amazon Prime

“Jojo Rabbit”

If staying in your house for several weeks feels like too much of a sacrifice, educate yourself with Taika Waititi’s Oscar-winning film. Roman Griffin Davis plays Hitler Youth Jojo Metzler, whose closest companion is his imaginary friend — Adolf Hitler himself — played by Taika Waititi. However, his perspective is turned upside-down when he discovers a Jewish girl living in his walls. The grim backdrop of World War II is brought to life with the color of Jojo’s imagination and makes for another perfect movie to stream in quarantine. 

Available to rent on Youtube, Google Play and Amazon Prime

Old Apocalyptic Sci-Fi (and Their Reboots)

“The Twilight Zone”

If your reality feels a little too much like science-fiction, return to the original thriller with “The Twilight Zone.” With more than 80 original, stand-alone episodes and now more than 150 in total, this show is the ultimate in classic horror, preying on a variety of existential fears. Here’s a warning to the overly superstitious and easily spooked! 

Available on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime

“Mystery Science Theater 3000”

If you still want to watch black-and-white films but can’t help but talk over the insane plot points and cringe-worthy and outdated tech, there is nothing better to binge than 12 seasons of dry wit and sci-fi fails in “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” Set on the Satellite of Love, a human test subject and his crew of robots are forced by a mad scientist to sit through horrible movies until they go insane. 

Available on Netflix

Existential Stand-Up Comedy Specials 

“End Times Fun” — Marc Maron

In one of the funniest comedy specials I’ve ever seen, Maron openly predicts the end of the world, including everything from aggressive Marvel Universe fanatics to taking supplements that don’t do anything. In bits that are only slightly pessimistic, he reminds us all, “There are lots of jobs in a burning sky.”

Available on Netflix

“The Planet is Burning” — Ilana Glazer

With her usual irreverent comedy that defines her work in the beloved Comedy Central show “Broad City,” Glazer’s debut stand-up special covers everything from outdated gender roles to the Holocaust role-play of her childhood. Her light-hearted attitude on the state of the world is a welcome distraction to what’s outside our windows. 

Available on Amazon Prime

Popular Dystopias for a Modern Audience

“Black Mirror”

If you haven’t dipped your toes into this contemporary, Twilight-Zone-esque, technological thriller, I can guarantee that “Black Mirror” won’t ease any of your current fears. This existential anthology of diverse stories preys on the parts of the digital world that frighten us most by presenting them in a not-too-distant future. With a stand-alone interactive movie as well, the “Black Mirror” franchise keeps you at the edge of your seat. 

Available on Netflix

“The End Of The F***ing World”

If you’re looking to dive inside the minds of angsty teenagers, “The End of the F***ing World” follows a self-identifying psychopath, James (Alex Lawther), as he plans to kill his classmate, Alyssa (Jessica Barden), while the two run away from home together. What follows is a messy and gruesome plot, but it feels familiar to making it through unprecedented scenarios. 

Available on Netflix

As the end-of-the-world feeling encroaches, I found solace in characters and worlds also grappling with unimaginable scares. In the escapism of it all, I hope you feel less alone as you wait out quarantine, no matter your genre preference.

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@iamjustkeating