Hey TV watchers! My name is Michel Ghanem, and I’m a freelance television critic and writer based in Vancouver, Canada. Some of you may know me by my Instagram moniker, TVScholar, where I’ve been sharing the shows I’ve been watching on social media and in my Substack newsletter with a television-loving online community.
I watch approximately 160 seasons of TV a year, and am grateful every day that I get to live and breathe a medium I love so much. I’m thrilled you’re here to embark on this journey with me with Trust Me, I Watch Everything. Every two weeks, I’ll be sharing the shows worth your TV time and how to tune in.
It’s officially the holiday season, and I don’t know about you, but I’m reaching for as many comfort watches as I can get my hands on. I’ve got a few recommendations. Ghosts is one of my most reliable sitcoms, and it will be airing through December on CBS. Over on streaming, A Man on the Inside returns for a second wholesome season on Netflix. A less comforting and more addictive binge, All Her Fault marks Sarah Snook’s return to television since Succession concluded. Finally, all four seasons of The Big C have been added to Netflix; it’s a heartfelt dramedy that will resonate with anyone whose life has been impacted by a terminal cancer diagnosis. And there’s much more where that came from. Let’s dive in.
⏰ Tune inMy recommendation: Ghosts
Why you should watch it: Ghosts, now in its fifth season, is one of my favorite sitcoms to have on my weekly rotation. It never fails to delight and hits all the best notes: It’s entertaining and light on its feet without being afraid to throw in a sexual innuendo or a darker plot twist once in a while.
Adapted from a British comedy with the same name, we follow Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), a perky young couple who move into an inherited dusty mansion in upstate New York with dreams of turning it into a bed and breakfast. When Sam has a near-death tumble down the stairs, she is suddenly able to see a crew of eight quirky ghosts who have been haunting the premises for centuries.
Some of the ghosts have passed away more recently, like Trevor (Asher Grodman), a ‘90s finance bro who is stuck spending purgatory without pants on because that’s how he died. Some are much, much older — like Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long), a gruff Viking. My personal favorites are Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky), a stern Gilded Age-era woman who’s obsessed with cocaine, and Alberta (Danielle Pinnock), a jazz singer from the roaring ‘20s.
The show could spend all of its time at the mansion, focusing on each ghost’s backstories and finding new ones on the property (like the cholera ghosts who hide in the basement), but the writers are clever in the way they slowly introduce more world-building as the series goes on. Sometimes, Sam will meet a new ghost when she’s out and about, for example. We also learn that ghosts can get “sucked off” to the afterlife if they’ve finally concluded their time haunting Earth.
Many of the weekly broadcast shows are gearing up for their mid-season break around this time of year, but Ghosts is set to air through December — including its usual holiday specials, which are always a delight. Five seasons in, it’s still firing on all cylinders. I shared my Paramount+ login with my parents last Christmas, and they laughed until they cried at some memorable episodes. Fun for all ages!
How to watch: New episodes of Ghosts air Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS and stream the next day on Paramount+.
But that’s not all …
-
The Pitt: The Pitt is the best medical drama in years, beloved by critics and fans alike. The real-time format brings a fresh energy to the genre, and there are incredible performances here by an ensemble cast led by Noah Wyle. It returns for a second season in January, but if you would like to catch up or rewatch before then, Season 1 will be airing in three-episode chunks on TNT. Catch it every Monday starting Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. ET through to Dec. 29. The full season also streams on HBO Max. — stream on HBO Max
📺 Stream itMy recommendation: A Man on the Inside
Why you should watch it: The premise of A Man on the Inside might seem far-fetched at first glance. Charles (Ted Danson) is a retired widower with a repetitive daily routine in San Francisco. He breaks out of his rut when he answers a newspaper ad to become the eyes and ears of a private investigator named Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), who’s been hired by a family to investigate a retirement home. His task: Find out who stole an expensive necklace in the retirement community.
It’s not so unrealistic because it’s actually based on a real story. The Mole Agent, an Oscar-nominated documentary, follows the real-life Charles at a nursing home in Chile. The Netflix adaptation is fictionalized, but it captures the heartwarming parts of the documentary well. Slowly, Charles and the residents and staff start to build a rapport, establishing a little community that gets upended when one resident passes away.
At its best, A Man on the Inside reminds me of Grace & Frankie, another Netflix comedy that focuses on connection and chosen family in retirement. There is something to be said about both shows representing an older demographic not frequently depicted on television. It’s an under-utilized age group with so much to explore: the grief of losing friends and family over the years, the vulnerability of starting a new life in a retirement home and all the comedy found in between.
The second season swaps out the retirement home for an academic setting to investigate a new whodunnit. The results aren’t quite the same — the same level of community doesn’t necessarily build between Charles and the quirky professors at Wheeler College. But we get a love interest for Charles in Danson’s real-life wife, Mary Steenburgen, and more character development for Julie, so there’s lots to enjoy here.
How to watch: Both seasons of A Man on the Inside are now streaming on Netflix.
My bonus recommendation: All Her Fault
Why you should watch it: The first few minutes of All Her Fault are absolutely chilling: Marissa (Sarah Snook) is a busy working mother who arrives at her son’s playdate only to realize that she was given a false address and her son is missing.
All Her Fault is dramatic in every way. A soaring, swelling soundtrack works overtime to convey every character’s shock and horror as they realize what it means when the days roll by and a missing child has yet to be found. It preys on every parent’s worst fear.
The reason it works and makes for a juicy binge? Performances by a very capable cast, including an always-great Jake Lacy as the shady husband, and Sophia Lillis as the nanny who may have played a role in the child’s disappearance.
This is Snook’s first television project since her Emmy-winning role as Shiv Roy, and the wait was worth it. Snook so skillfully captures the emotional extremes of this loss, especially when the press starts spinning conspiracy stories about the kidnapping being staged.
At times, All Her Fault feels indebted to Big Little Lies — maybe it’s seeing wealthy women avoid their angry husbands by drinking wine in cardigans together, or dodging judgmental comments from other moms at school. One thing is for sure: The finale’s reveals are enough to make a jaw drop, even for me, who watches way too many of these types of thrillers every year.
How to watch: All eight episodes of All Her Fault are streaming on Peacock.
But that’s not all …
-
Heated Rivalry: There is a whole world of smutty romance fiction out there. This Canadian television adaptation of a book by Rachel Reid is elevating the genre with sleek, polished cinematography that follows two NHL rivals who secretly begin sleeping with each other every time they find themselves in the same city. It arrives at a time when the NHL is the only major North American men’s sports league without an openly gay player. If multiple sex scenes per episode will ruffle your feathers, this one isn’t for you. If it is … new episodes of Heated Rivalry stream on Fridays on HBO Max. — stream on HBO Max
-
The Artist: If The Gilded Age was a little too sleepy for you, consider this period dramedy that isn’t taking itself as seriously. The murder mystery series stars Mandy Patinkin and Janet McTeer as Norman and Marian Henry, an eccentric couple who live in an isolated farmhouse. When Norman is murdered, the suspects include historical icons like Thomas Edison and Edgar Degas. The Artist is being delivered in two parts via The Network, a newer streaming service. The first three episodes arrived on Thanksgiving; the last three will stream on Christmas Day. — stream on The Network
💎 Hidden gems
Laura Linney in The Big C. (Jordin Althaus /Showtime Network/Everett Collection)
Why you should watch it: Few shows have captured the rocky, uneven journey of a terminal cancer diagnosis with such heartfelt wonder as The Big C.
Laura Linney plays Cathy Jamison, a high school teacher in Minneapolis diagnosed with skin cancer. Initially, she hides her diagnosis from her husband (Oliver Platt) and her son (Gabriel Basso), so her outlandish post-diagnosis behavior seems more like a midlife crisis to them than anything else. Realizing she has limited time left, she throws caution to the wind. Time to build that backyard pool she’s always wanted!
I often miss this era of Showtime — The Big C was airing around the same time as Nurse Jackie and Weeds, all half-hour series with poignant lead performances that masquerade as comedies before the other shoe drops and you realize you’re in for something much more meaningful than you might have initially realized. Sometimes, the early 2010s of it all can lead to a few jokes that don’t necessarily resonate in today’s era, but The Big C holds up better than I expected.
Linney is one of the best actresses of our time, and it’s hard not to get emotionally invested in her journey as she faces the tribulations of her health — even when Cathy approaches her setbacks with optimism and spunk. There are some great guest stars throughout, too: Parker Posey, Idris Elba and Cynthia Nixon, to name a few.
Whose life hasn’t been touched by cancer in one way or another? You can probably guess how this story ends — let’s just say there won’t be a continuation of this series. Rest assured, The Big C is well worth the journey to get there.
How to watch: All four seasons of The Big C are streaming on Netflix.
That’s the end of this week’s episode, but there’ll always be more TV to watch. Tune in again with me on Dec. 15 for more recommendations.
Think there’s something missing that deserves my TV time? Let me know what else I should have on my radar in the comments below!