TOP 12 best series for long winter evenings

Winter is coming. For most of us, the next six months are the perfect excuse to dive into the streaming services that have finally hit their stride again post-COVID. With spring and summer weather, there’s often neither the time nor the desire to stare at a screen, but the more time we spend indoors, the more that urge grows. In the following paragraphs, I’m sharing a list of shows I’m looking forward to and personally recommend. I’ve focused on series that have either been released in recent years or have already concluded, but from my own experience, I know many people haven't heard of them or haven't given them the attention they deserve.

Preacher (2016-2019)

Seasons: 4 | Service: Amazon Prime

The series Preacher is based on the comic book of the same name by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. It follows the story of tough-as-nails thief Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), who returns to his hometown of Annville, Texas, to become a preacher like his father and redeem his sins. There, he is found by the entity Genesis, which merges with him. Jesse gains the power of the “word of God,” allowing him to command anyone to do anything. Naturally, Jesse uses Genesis to achieve his goals, leading to plenty of funny or bizarre situations while attracting the attention of various supernatural parties. Over four seasons, Jesse, along with his friend Tulip (Ruth Negga) and the vampire Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), visits several bizarre places, searches for God, and fights angels, the Saint of Killers, a mysterious organization called the Grail, and his own past. The series differs from the comic, but the foundation remains the same. The creators don't hold back, and there is plenty of blood and obscenity. It all builds to a spectacular finale. And we’ll stick with Garth Ennis for a little longer…

The Boys (2019-present)

Seasons: 3 | Service: Amazon Prime

In the series The Boys, based on the comic by Garth Ennis, we follow a world where superheroes are famous and celebrated by everyone. They work for Vought International, which uses them for marketing and monetizing their abilities. Beyond their superpowers, they don't have many other virtues. Most of these superheroes are arrogant, selfish, and corrupt, willing to blackmail, kill, and decimate for the sake of their popularity. The series focuses on two groups: The Seven, the primary team of superheroes led by the egotistical Homelander (Anthony Starr), and The Boys, a group of people led by Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) who try to fight Vought and its corrupt Seven because, unlike the rest of the world, they see what these so-called superheroes really are. Throughout the seasons, their paths cross many times, and there is no shortage of tension or twists. Blood and bizarre moments are, again, in no short supply. The series also differs from the comic, but in my opinion, that difference has served it much better than it did Preacher.

For All Mankind (2019-present)

Seasons: 3 | Service: Apple TV+

A series about an alternate version of history where the Soviet Union lands on the Moon first in 1969. This kicks off a never-ending space race between the socialist and capitalist worlds. A series for lovers of space travel, science, and human achievement. A series about human destinies, strong women, and tough men. About astronauts, engineers, and their families. A probe into NASA and its inner circle. A showcase of politics and espionage in the highest scientific circles. That is For All Mankind. And even more. There aren't many series that can pull off a perfect plot twist and often a perfect season finale. Moreover, each season takes place in a different time period and introduces many heroes, among whom Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) is definitely at the top. Highly recommended.

The Handmaid's Tale (2017-present)

Seasons: 5 | Service: HBO Max

The Handmaid's Tale - The Handmaid's Tale is based on the dystopian novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, set in the near future in a patriarchal totalitarian state called the Republic of Gilead, which spans the territory of the former United States. The series follows the story of Offred (Elisabeth Moss), who is one of the so-called “handmaids” - women who are slaves to the ruling men and have only one purpose: to bear children. Throughout the seasons, the heroine tries to break free from slavery, return to her husband, find her daughter, and save other handmaids. The series tells the story of the book and expands upon it with subsequent seasons. The fifth season is currently airing, and a sixth—the final—season has already been announced.

Rick and Morty (2013-present)

Seasons: 6 | Service: HBO Max

The animated series for adults Rick and Morty is a bizarrely wacky comedy series for adults. It follows the stories of eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith, and their strange adventures taking place across several dimensions, alternate realities, and alien planets. Rick loves to indulge in alcohol and avoids the classic conventional lifestyle. Morty is his grandson. A naive and traumatized boy, he is the exact opposite of Rick's ego. The series follows the conflict between two levels: traditional family drama vs. the wacky adventures of an alcoholic grandpa and his grandson. The series manages to hold your attention with its typical comedic style and a multitude of pop culture references. Plus, I don't know many series where so many crazy and wacky things happen in 20 minutes.

Love, Death & Robots (2019-present)

Seasons: 3 | Service: Netflix

An animated anthology of short stories connected only by the themes in its title. Each story features a different animation style, narrative, or setting. The anthology was curated by Tim Miller and David Fincher, and we encounter themes such as bio-mechanics, robotics, space travel, exploration and colonization, war, mutation, self-discovery, philosophical questions, crime, mysterious entities, cyberpunk, dystopia, alternate history, monsters, cats, and more. The episodes themselves range from 5 to 25 minutes long.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)

Seasons: 1 | Service: Netflix

Let's stick with animation, or rather, anime. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is based on the world created by the Polish studio CD Projekt Red for the video game Cyberpunk 2077. It is a self-contained story set in the same backdrop as the game, and players of this game are the target audience. It tells the story of David, a student at Arasaka Academy who is constantly bullied by his classmates due to his poor background. After a life tragedy, he chooses a path on the wrong side of the law—a life on the edge, full of high-tech implants, the black market, and crime. I have to be very picky about what anime I like and what I don't. Here, the creators hit exactly my taste, because I enjoyed the game Cyberpunk 2077 despite all the flaws it had. The fight scenes were fun, the familiar city backdrops were a pleasure, and the story was definitely not flat. Plus, I was pleased with the game's soundtrack, which I consider very well done.

Severance (2022-present)

Seasons: 1 | Service: Apple TV+

The mystery sci-fi thriller Severance is a brilliant minimalist corporate dystopia where employees are offered a surgical separation of their work and non-work memories. The main character discovers a new world while uncovering a web of conspiracy. Severance is almost Kafkaesque in its poetry, working with a narrow circle of characters and placing them in intimate scenes across two separate planes: corporate and personal. The series is very well acted and written, maintains tension, and creates an almost terrifying mirror to today's corporate systems. The end of the first season also leaves a chilling cliffhanger for future seasons. It's an interesting dystopia that doesn't just present a system and the fight against it, but shows the system being created, with the hero Mark (Adam Scott) trying to get to the bottom of it.

House of the Dragon (2022-present)

Seasons: 1 | Service: HBO Max

House of the Dragon is currently airing on HBO Max, bringing a story set 172 years before the events that took place in Game of Thrones. It depicts the beginning of the Targaryen decline, the events leading to the war of succession known as the “Dance of the Dragons.” The series follows the fates of the ruling Targaryens, their descendants, and their dragons, tangled in a web of lies, intrigue, betrayal, and murder, similar to what we already know from Game of Thrones. The series is different, more dialogue-heavy, but it definitely brings an interesting trip into the history of Westeros.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022-present)

Seasons: 1 | Service: Amazon Prime

The most expensive series of all time, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, was recently released on Amazon and takes us back to Middle-earth, this time to the Second Age, a thousand years before the events of Tolkien's most famous trilogy. Morgoth has been defeated, but a new evil is preparing to rise. The rings of power are forged, which Sauron will one day bind with the One Ring. Elves, dwarves, humans, and hobbits are back. Númenor still stands in its full glory, and the elf Galadriel uncovers a mysterious conspiracy. Meanwhile, the elf Elrond seeks help from his dwarven friends, the fate of some hobbits is tied to an encounter with a mysterious being, and orcs appear on the scene once again. The series follows Tolkien's chronicle The Silmarillion, expands on its Second Age stories, and brings new adventures. You can also find more detailed first impressions of the first episodes on our blog.

Star Wars: Andor (2022-present)

Seasons: 1 | Service: Disney+

Disney has introduced several Star Wars projects in recent years, and in live-action series in particular, this franchise has repaired the reputation it damaged with fans through the sequel trilogy of Episodes VII - IX.

The Mandalorian or Boba Fett introduced a concept for series that can be built upon. This year, they also released a great Obi-Wan Kenobi story wedged between Episodes III and IV. At this time, we can enjoy another series gem called Andor—or, at the time of writing this article, only 3 episodes were out. The series Andor follows the story of Cassian Andor, whom we met in Rogue One. Andor is more mature and grounded than its series predecessors and shows how the main character gets to the rebels and becomes their best spy. I'm satisfied.

Sandman (2022-present)

Seasons: 1 | Service: Netflix

A successful Netflix adaptation of The Sandman, based on the comic book by Neil Gaiman, follows the story of Morpheus, or the Lord of Dreams, who is imprisoned by a deranged occultist for decades—to be precise, for a period slightly longer than a century. Upon his return, he must resolve many troubles in his decimated dream realm, retrieve stolen artifacts, and solve family problems. The first season showed only a part of the stories, and further seasons are already confirmed. If you like mystery, urban fantasy, and Neil Gaiman's style, I can only recommend The Sandman. We have a full review to read on the imago blog.

Other series to watch:

I can't highlight every series in the article. However, I usually watch a few episodes to get an idea and see if I'll stick with them or not. So, here is a list of those I didn't mention, which weren't bad or have potential.

Peacemaker (2022), Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021), WandaVision (2021), Star Trek: Picard (2020), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

author Honza Kohoutek