8 shows to binge-watch on Netflix during Circuit Breaker

With the long-awaited Friends reunion special set to air this year, 16 years after the American sitcom ended in 2004, there’s no better time to get a refresher on this beloved classic.

It premiered in 1994 and spanned 10 seasons, shooting the cast to superstardom and amassing fans from all around the world. It’s no wonder why – the characters of Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe and Joey are so lovable, relatable and hilarious, that you’d wish you were part of the gang too.

This K-drama which was only just released this year is already garnering quite a bit of attention.

The plot centres around the ghost of a young woman who died in an accident, leaving her newborn daughter and grieving husband behind.

Plot twist – she gets a second chance at life by turning human for 49 days… and is presented with a moral dilemma – if she can return to her place in her family (p.s. Her husband has since remarried), she can remain human.

A poignant tale of love and loss, life and death, selfishness and sacrifice; be prepared to whip out the tissues when watching this.

Another K-drama which just premiered this year, this romantic fantasy stars Lee Min Ho as ‘The King’ himself.

Expect parallel worlds between his Kingdom of Corea and modern-day Republic of Korea, a love interest whom he already seems to recognise from his tragic past, an assassination plot and toxic, scheming familial ties. Really, what more can you want from a K-drama?

Moving on to the reality shows, this reality TV dating game show is coming in hot – literally.

Similar to the Love Island series, a few sexy singles are left on a beautiful island for four weeks. It’s hormones, attraction, tiny bikinis and washboard abs galore when the shocking rule is dropped – they are to remain celibate if they want to take home the $100,000 prize money.

Some may write this off as too trashy for their liking, but if you persevere, there are many heart-warming moments as you watch the contestants learn lessons, grow, and find themselves. You might even shed a tear or two.

Yet another reality TV dating game show, but with a much more serious twist.

Singles are tasked with meeting their perfect matches, building a connection, falling in love and agreeing to get married… all while separated by a wall and never seeing each other face-to-face.

In other words, they have to prove whether love truly is blind, and if an emotional connection can outweigh the physical attraction in the real world.

The show progresses with the engaged couples meeting each other, going on their couples retreat in Mexico, meeting each other’s families, moving in together, and ultimately, standing at the altar together.

Faced with the challenges and realities of the outside world, how will this blindly enamoured couples fare?

A truly riveting reality show that will leave you elated, stunned, infuriated and devastated all at once.

At this point, this true crime docuseries needs no introduction.

You would’ve heard of Joe Exotic, big cat breeder and zoo owner, and his nemesis Carole Baskin, conservationist and owner of Big Cat Rescue.

This documentary has taken the world by storm, partly because of how it shocked viewers with the intricate and shady underbelly of the big cat world, and partly because of the cast of wildly eccentric characters, including Joe Exotic himself, a gun-toting, over-the-top, polyamorous, gay, presidential candidate from the midwest.

A bitter feud spews into a murder plot, and has so many shocking twists and turns that you’d barely believe this is a real-life documentary.

A docuseries that aims to answer the perennial questions on human behaviour, this is both comedic, informative and scientific – any sociologist watching this is sure to have a field day.

It explores how 100 people from vastly different backgrounds react to different social experiments regarding age, happiness, sex and other aspects of simply being human.

This Spanish crime drama series has four seasons (or ‘parts’) to date, and seeing how you’d probably recognise that iconic Dali mask and red jumpsuit anywhere… it’s fair to say it’s gotten quite a bit of recognition.

It follows a gang of criminals and misfits who have nothing to lose, led by an awkward yet brilliant mastermind who goes by ‘The Professor’, who try to pull off the biggest heist in history by printing billions of euros in the Royal Mint of Spain.

Parts three and four of the series centre around a new mission – an even bigger heist. Definitely a series you’d binge-watch day and night, there are lovable and despicable characters, heart-warming moments and adrenaline-charged moments.

Be warned, when you finish the series, its anthem “Bella Ciao” will be stuck in your head for days.