Five series to binge this Diwali with your family

Everyone knows how fun and wholesome Diwali is. But the preparations, dressing up, socializing, celebrating, munching on unhealthy yet tasty goodies, can often get overwhelming and make one yearn for the comfort of a good series and a loving shoulder. In such grave situations, check out these series for a refreshing change of mind and scenario, for they have detoxing as well as bonding properties when family are around.

1. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

This American period comedy-drama premiered in 2017 and ran for five seasons before concluding in 2023. Starring Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, Michael Zegen, Marin Hinkle, Tony Shalhoub, Kevin Pollak, Caroline Aaron, Jane Lynch, and Luke Kirby, the series traces the rise of Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel, a 1950s housewife, as a stand-up comedian after her husband Joel cheats on her. Managed by the gruff Susie Myerson, Midge’s rise from performing at the Greenwich Village Gaslight Café to The Gordon Ford Show is as real and touching, yet humorous, as it gets.

Catch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime

2. Lupin

This French mystery thriller, inspired by Maurice Leblanc’s master thief character Arsene Lupin, began airing in 2021, with the third season being dropped in 2023. The series had created quite a sensation in the TUDUM-verse by becoming its most-watched non-English series during its first month. The plot follows professional thief Assane Diop, played by Omar Sy, who is out to take revenge on the Pellegrini family for framing his honest father for the theft of a diamond necklace. This he does using charisma, disguise, mastery, and of course, the adventures of Arsene Lupin.

Catch Lupin on Netflix.

3. Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie

A Tamil murder mystery-thriller, Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie is a 2022 series, starring S.J. Suryah, Laila, Nassar, Sanjana Krishnamoorthy, Smruthi Venkat, Vivek Prasanna, Kumar Thangarajan, Vaibhav Murugesan, Vikky Aadithya, and Hareesh Peradi. The series focuses on solving the murder of a young, mesmerising beauty Velonie. Her life and death, is shown from different perspectives, using the Rashomon effect, but all it does is further complicate the knot of mystery surrounding her death. This brilliantly paced series will keep you guessing the identity of the killer till the final episode.

Catch Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie on Amazon Prime.

4. Only Murders in the Building

This comedy mystery is a suigeneris brainchild of John Hoffman and Steve Martin, starring the latter along with Martin Short and Selena Gomez. Other than a talented cast and solid storylines, the show also boasts of multiple Golden and Primetime Emmy nominations. The show focuses on a commercial acting veteran Charles Haden-Savage, renowned but struggling Broadway director Oliver Putnam, and young artist cum late bloomer Mable Mora, and their shared love for listening to crime podcasts and solving murders unites them. Residing at the Arconia, the trio solve any murder that takes place in their building, The Arconia, by hilarious and ingenious means.

Catch Only Murders in the Building on Hulu and Disney+hotstar.

5. Young Sheldon

A spinoff prequel based on The Big Bang theory, Young Sheldon follows the childhood of theoretical physics-prodigy Sheldon Cooper. The series, set in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, traces the upbringing of Sheldon, as well as his family in a God and football-obsessed Texas. Though the series began with Sheldon at its centre, the exquisite bonding and fun shared by his family highlighted them as well. Filled with science fiction, physics, and comics, and geeky references, the film caters to the introverts and nerds as well. Worried about dozing off? Don’t worry, Sheldon’s parents, siblings Georgie and Missy, and grandma Meemaw are there to spruce you up with their normalcy.

Catch Young Sheldon on Amazon Prime and Netflix.