It’s late summer, what’s going on in the news is… well, it’s not always great, and that’s where TV can be at its best – even during times when we’re not drowning in premieres and prestige TV buzz.
Some TV shows are clearly engineered to whisk off to exotic locales, while others sneakily plant those I really need to get there someday seeds.
The White Lotus
Come for the five-star resorts in paradise, stay for the murder mystery and a side of brilliant satire.
But let’s focus on the vacation porn angle here: three seasons, each with a new location. We’ve gotten Hawaii, Sicily, and Thailand thus far, with speculation that we’ll get a Cold Lotus at some point (Swiss Alps spa, anyone?).
Whatever Mike White is cooking up next, we’re down to travel along for the ride.
Curious where The White Lotus landed on The Best 100 TV Shows Ever? Come on down, and check ‘er out.
Below Deck
The world’s splashiest cruise commercial.
Everything about Below Deck works: the “upstairs” drama, the “downstairs” drama, the hookups and hot tub fights between superyacht cruises. And best of all, the backdrop is forever as stupid-gorgeous as the cast.
Pop Thruster pro tip: check out the Croatia seasons (just don’t tell Captain Lee).
The Last of Us
Post-apocalyptic splendor in the (former) U.S. of A.
When Ellie and friends hit the road, as they often do out of choice or desperation, The Last of Us excels at showcasing wide open vistas and breathtaking scenery, often in the American West.
Just watch out for those cordyceps, kids.
The Crown
Palace hop through modern British history.
This Netflix show was obscenely expensive to produce, and the great news is that it looks like it. Every season feels like a brochure for England’s most lavish estates, plus a few side trips abroad. Even when it’s emotionally bleak, you can’t help but admire the museum-quality sets and chandeliers.
Downton Abbey
“What if my summer rental had 60 servants and personal butler(s)?”
Same as The Crown but more out in the English countryside, basically.
Entourage
LA wish fulfillment on steroids and overpriced cocktails.
If you ever wanted to live in a Hollywood fever dream where traffic doesn’t exist and you get to hang out with your besties all day (one of whom may or may not be called Turtle), Entourage is your Spirit Horse.
Tokyo Vice
Neon-soaked Japan circa 2000.
Michael Mann plus Ansel Elgort plus early-2000s Tokyo, based on a gripping nonfiction book about an American journalist uncovering corruption and tangling with the Yakuza?
Yeah sure, there’s that, but also you get to soak in Shinjuku nightlife, tranquil hidden corners of Tokyo, and stylish Yakuza haunts.
The Amazing Race
Guilty pleasure meets ultimate travel sampler platter.
A Whitman’s Sampler, if you will, both in terms of travel locales and in terms of reality television product, really (he said sniffily).
Game of Thrones
Dragons and medieval-ish palace intrigue but also incredible European backdrops.
Side note: my wife and I got to see some of the filming locations for GoT while visiting Ireland. For her it was a cool trip, but for me I got to hang out in Westeros.
Bonus Round
This list could go on forever, so I’ll wrap it up here.
Here’s a laundry list of other shows if you’re hunting for a late summer escape from your couch/futon/work desk:
- Succession
- Emily in Paris
- Outlander
- Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
- Love Is Blind
- Ted Lasso
- Big Little Lies
- Narcos
- Shogun
- Better Call Saul
Have fun, and I’ll see you when you get back in the fall.