Bank holiday binge: 8 TV box sets you can start and finish this weekend
Hurrah! Easter means four lovely, long days off work. And that means it's time to play TV catch up...
1
Because bank holidays are basically just for watching TV...
The second season of this Marvel adventure just dropped on Netflix. If you're yet to be introduced to Matt Murdock – blind lawyer to Hell's Kitchen's underdogs by day, extra-sensory crime fighting vigilante by night – this stretch of four days away from your desk couldn't be better timed.
How much TV have I got to watch? 22 hours and 31 minutes
How do I do it? You've got to average 6.5 episodes a day to get seasons one and two watched by the time it's back to the 9 to 5. You can do that AND fit in some socialising too. Winner.
More like this
Where can I watch it? Seasons one and two are available on Netflix.
With season six set to start airing in April, this is the ideal time to get up to speed on all things Westeros. Five seasons might seem like a lot, and that's because it is. We are talking 10 episodes a run here and they are an hour long. It's achievable – but only if you're determined.
How much TV have I got to watch? 1 day, 22 hours and 4 minutes
How do I do it? Treat this like your working day. You've got to average 12.5 episodes a day to get it all watched. Take a lunch hour, a couple of tea breaks (when things get upsetting) and stop for a short pause in the evening to socialise with other humans. But otherwise you've got to pull those socks up and keep your head down. This Bank Holiday is just about Game of Thrones.
Where can I watch it?
Seasons 1 - 5 are available on Amazon Video, iTunes, TalkTalk TV Store, NOW TV and Sky Box Sets.
If you haven't watched Outlander yet you've probably heard some of the hype. Married nurse Claire accidentally travels back in time, from the 1940s to 1743, and meets hunky Scottish highlander Jamie Fraser. Expect high drama, impressive Scottish scenery and a fair amount of exposed flesh. Season two lands on Amazon Prime next month so chop chop!
How much TV have I got to watch? 15 hours and 16 minutes
How do I do it? We'd recommend watching four episodes a day. Each episode is around an hour long so you'll even have time to see people, BBQ things, attempt some DIY and do other things people do on bank holidays. Couldn't work any better, really.
Where can I watch it? Outlander season one is available on Amazon Prime
It's the real-life crime documentary EVERYONE was talking about earlier this year. And if you're still in the dark about Steven Avery it's high time you sat down and caught up.
How much TV have I got to watch? 10 hours and 7 minutes
How do I do it? This one's easy-peasy. All you've got to do is watch 2 and a half episodes every day of the bank holiday. In fact, stopping after 2 and a half will be the hard part...
Where can I watch it? Making a Murderer is available on Netflix
Thirteen is BBC3's first drama since moving online. And it's a good 'un. The five-part thriller follows Ivy Moxam, a 26-year-old woman who escapes from the cellar she's called home for the last 13 years...
How much TV have I got to watch? 4 hours
How do I do it? The final episode is available on BBC iPlayer Easter Sunday at 12pm, so all you need to do is watch the first four episodes before them. Consume all in one go or two at a time. The choice is yours.
Where can I watch it? Thirteen is available on BBC iPlayer
Kimmy has spent the last 15 years living underground as part of an apocalypse cult. When she is found and freed from her captor, she moves to New York to try to make a life for herself in the big city. It's silly and surreal, but really very funny. Catch up before season two drops on Netflix next month.
How much TV have I got to watch? 5 hours and 30 minutes
How do I do it? With joyful ease. Watch three episodes a day (and four on one of them), or the whole thing in one day. Or, if you really, really like it, the whole thing once a day for four days. Enjoy.
Where can I watch it? Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is available on Netflix
Netflix's latest foray into the Marvel Universe bought us Jessica Jones, the haunted, hard-drinking, ass-kicking private detective with super powers (but no silly cape). Plus Doctor Who's David Tennant as you've never seen him before, as mind-controlling villain Kilgrave...
How much TV have I got to watch? 11 hours 11 minutes
How do I do it? You'll need to watch three episodes a day and four on one. The ideal way to spend your days off if you ask us.
Where can I watch it? Marvel's Jessica Jones is available on Netflix
BBC1's John Le Carre adaptation The Night Manager stars Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman, Hugh Laurie and Tom Hollander. It's been livening up our Sunday nights for the past month – and if you've missed out, this weekend is your chance to be in on the action just in time for the finale on Sunday night.
How much TV have I got to watch? 5 hours
How do I do it? A couple of episodes on Friday, a couple on Saturday and then the fifth instalment at 8pm on Sunday, immediately followed by the final episode of the series on BBC1 = the perfect plan.
Where can I watch it? Episode one is available on BBC Store. Episodes 2 - 5 are on iPlayer.