The Stars are Out
At last some positive news, China's newly-updated COVID-19 Control Protocol has removed the * on our ‘Green Arrow Codes’.
Theoretically, this means that travel will become unrestricted within the Chinese mainland. Until now, the * has denoted that you have been in a ‘Medium Risk Area’, which curtails your ability to travel to certain places. At one point earlier this year, I had collected three of them, and needed to quickly return home to Shanghai before my luck ran out.
Let’s see how this plays out, since the surprise announcement just came out today, and it might take a while for certain Provinces to change their policies. But for now, it’s a small step in the right direction.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
Surly Teenagers in a Mall
I’m posing like a surly teenager whose parents have allowed them to go to the local mall. Because that’s exactly how it feels like to be in Shanghai right now. We’ve been granted more freedom, but we still don’t have any agency, and there still isn’t much to do. So you end up mainly shuffling around like listless teenagers, bemoaning authority figures and their stupid rules. Some of our friends keep getting ‘grounded’ at home, and the same might happen to us, for reasons our teenage brains can’t process. It’s, like, so unfair.
So when people ask me how I’m doing, I usually find myself answering just like a teenager. I mumble something about being ‘OK’, while it’s quite clear that I’m being antisocial, short-tempered and petulant. But putting one foot after the other and ‘getting on with it’ is how I survived my teenage years, and that’s what I’m doing now. It’s an awkward phase I’m going through.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
An Impressive but Unsustainable Spectacle
So we’ve received a ticket which allows one person per household outside our residential compound for a few hours each day. And what greets us there is a facsimile of normal life. The streets are beginning to fill with people, one or two shops have started to open, and makeshift hair salons have popped up on every other corner. Back at home, things are also looking a little closer to normal. As supplies have started to become easier to obtain, we’ve slowly been emptying the fridge of ‘essentials’ and letting it fall back into its natural state: as a receptacle for alcohol mixers and neglected jars of condiments.
It feels like we’re finally coming to the end of our Shanghai lockdown story. When the dust has completely settled on the world’s response to the pandemic, we can have a grand debate about the chaos of freedom versus the tyranny of protection. But right now, the key verdict on the last three months is that China remains in zero-rush to relax its zero-COVID policy, exhibiting zero-interest in reintegrating into the rest of the world. So international folks will continue having a tough time trying to keep one foot in China and the other elsewhere. At this point we’re all Jean-Claude Van-Damme doing the splits on two slowly diverging Volvo trucks. An impressive spectacle, but not one that can be sustained forever.
For the last few weeks, I’ve been focusing most of my creative energy on writing these Shanghai updates for Denny and me. I’ve taken pains to strike a personal and balanced tone, being truthful to our own experience while trying not to misrepresent the experiences of others. This phase is now coming to an end, and I will soon pivot back to my usual creative outlet of producing the Mosaic of China podcast. I’m much more comfortable being a conduit for other people’s voices rather than dominating the full bandwidth with my own. But what will remain constant are the details about life in China that you usually can’t find anywhere else. Thank you for following our lockdown story. Hopefully from now on I’ll be back to posting with a little more variety, a little less frequency, and a lot less intensity.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
All the Feline Feels
You may have heard reports that Shanghai has ‘opened up’ following its harsh citywide lockdown. Let me quickly explain what this means.
There is a patchwork quilt of realities. Some lucky people have indeed already received 临时出入证 (temporary exit/entry passes), allowing them to leave their compounds, usually for a short time once a day. Others have been allowed out, only for that permission to be immediately revoked once some unknown local official begins to feel nervous about the optics of people exercising their right to freedom. And for residents whose compounds remain in total lockdown, they have the exotic torture of being congratulated on their freedom while sitting under continued house arrest.
In our case, the local neighbourhood committee has opened the lock on our gate, but has not removed it. So it continues to hang ominously, silently proclaiming: “We can easily lock you up again, whenever we want”. We haven’t received any official passes, so our notion of freedom is entirely synthetic. But we took the chance to take an unofficial walk around the block, and the cat in the window of this local pet-shop sums up our emotional longing all too accurately.
The logical interpretation of an open lock is that it’s a ‘hopeful sign’. Maybe it is, and maybe we will receive our official 临时出入证 soon. With no residents in our compound testing positive for COVID-19 in all 64 days of lockdown, we’ve been conditioned to not seeing any correlation between hopeful signs and happy outcomes. And for the time being, shops, restaurants, and even parks all remain closed. So the best case scenario is that we can visit this cat through the glass again tomorrow. 🐈🪟
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the YouTube version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
Piazza Privilege
This post is about privilege. Today we decided to use our tiny balcony to pretend that we were in an Italian piazza rather than stuck in our Shanghai apartment. This weekend we made a feast out of the fanciest cheeses and cold cuts from our fridge. We’ve recently watched Dune, The Power of the Dog, West Side Story and CODA, all from the comfort of our (increasingly sagging) couch. And we’re surrounded by neighbours in our compound who have been very kind and supportive to one-another throughout these harsh few weeks of confinement. Even though we’ve lost our freedom for a total of 56 days and counting, we’re still luckier than 99% of people in Shanghai.
Living for so long in China starts to make you a little inured to the all-pervasive miasma of state power. So your messages of support over the last couple of months have not just been a massive morale booster, but also a useful reminder that this hasn’t been ‘normal’, and there is such a thing as individual human dignity. Having said that, it has been a little uncomfortable to read comments about our “bravery” and “endurance”, when in fact for the most part we’ve been able to wallow in the luxury of denial and disassociation. That’s the power of privilege, even in times like these.
We’ve certainly had our lows. This whole time, Denny has been working from home with a broken hand. And while I’ve been telling myself that I’m functioning fine, my body has been telling me that I’m not. One day let me regale you with all the fun and creative symptoms it came up with. But for now, I’m taking a cue from the weather and am starting the week with a sunnier disposition. Parts of Shanghai are supposedly opening up this week. No doubt there will be many days of continued false hope and confusion before this means anything to us. Until then, I’ll be in my Italian piazza. Finché c'è vita c'è speranza.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
Dystopia Level Silver
So we’ve reached the crappy milestone of our 50th day of lockdown in Shanghai. That’s 9 days in March, and 41 consecutive days since April 1st. Dystopia Level Silver unlocked.
Despite official reports that the number of cases are going down, the lockdown has perversely become even stricter. In our district, more barricades are going up; fewer deliveries are being allowed; and now if even one person tests positive in your building, *everyone* gets carted off to central quarantine. It’s yet another doubling down on the exponential lunacy of Zero-COVID. What once could be seen as a policy with some degree of merit has long since become detached from the bounds of logic. The same singular strategy that has prevented us from stepping outside of China since February 2020 is now preventing us from stepping outside of our compound. Zero-COVID has overtaken Omicron in terms of its indiscriminate menace.
We’re surviving on a diet of cheap distractions. Denny has something called a ‘job’, which appears to keep him busy. Apart from that, it’s down to the basic routines of eating, drinking, and looking at willies on the internet. The whole city has taken a bumpy nosedive down Maslow’s pyramid, and we still don’t know when we’ll reach rock bottom.
We’re so lucky to be locked in together. We’re a good team: he does most of the cooking and cleaning; while I do most of the deliveries and dishwashing, and quiet sobbing in a foetal position. Despite a universe of anxiety, our little solar system is still spinning on its constant axis of jokes and hugs. I would rather not have another 50 days of this. But I’m grateful that we’ve been through it together.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
China as an Overbearing Parent
A few residential compounds have started to open up in Shanghai, and there’s hope that this represents the beginning of the end of this harsh city lockdown. In our case, one of our neighbours has been entrusted with the key to the lock on our gate, and she has started to leave it unlocked at random times of the day. We have no idea how this seemingly arbitrary decision got made, or by whom. But we’re in no mood to enquire; we just want to take a walk around the block.
There’s no thought of celebrating yet, while so many of our friends remain behind closed doors. Besides, the streets remain empty; shops remain closed; and everyone is nervous that the slightest uptick in positive COVID cases may put us all back to square one. And square one is where most of the city still languishes, just by luck of the lockdown lottery.
The two questions we’ve recently been asked the most are: 1) Why is China doing this? And 2) Why would anyone now wish to remain in Shanghai? To answer the first question, I would need to explain how China works, and only an idiot would try to suggest one unifying theory. So here’s mine.
China seriously cares for its people. That’s a fact. But it cares for them as a 1.4 billion collective, not as 1.4 billion individuals. China is an overbearing parent looking after their single child. They only want the best for it. They let it play, albeit under very tight supervision. They tell it what to do, and scold it when it steps out of line. No nuance; no negotiation. Does an overbearing parent always know what’s best for their child? And when other parents offer them unsolicited advice or criticism, does an overbearing parent get offended?
It’s an only child: the child is one; the child is indivisible. The parent does not need to understand each of the 1.4 billion individual cells that constitutes their child. Why would the concept of a cell even occur to them? The same goes for certain clusters of cells, certain organs and systems. If the parent feels that they’re keeping the child in general good health, does it matter to them what a tonsil does? Or a gallbladder, or an endocrine system? So long as China feels that it’s keeping 1.4 billion people in indivisible harmony, then what do the needs of a specific minority group matter? Or a city? Or a functioning system of public discourse? There’s a fundamental disconnect between the pure parental love of the child, and the complicated tangle of biology beneath its skin.
Most people outside of China (and some of us within!) just view the situation from the perspective of the cell. But in making this entirely accurate assessment, we’re also missing half the picture. The cells are also the child is also the cells. So an average individual in China feels both loved and unloved at the same time. Hugged too tight, and heedlessly ignored. Schrödinger was late to the game, the Chinese have understood the paradox of yin and yang for centuries. Today’s China is a mixture of Confucius, Han Feizi and Mao. While from the outside, we only see it through the prism of Beckett, Kafka, and Orwell.
So having lived through China’s recent metaphorical heart attack in Shanghai, we need to turn to the second question: why would anyone who has a choice decide to remain in China?
This is a question that every person must answer individually, so I can only speak for myself. My answer is that cross-cultural experience isn’t just about traveling the world comparing delicious desserts. You can learn more from panic attacks than you can from patisseries. Would I prefer to be eating pear tarts in Paris right now? Oui. But do I also value being able to think like I do, and view the world like I do? And at exactly what point does that privilege come at a price that I’m no longer willing to pay?
Making the decision to stay or leave one place or another is always a question of principle and practicality. When the effects of COVID-19 were ravaging your city, did you break your lease, quit your job, cut ties with your community, and relocate? It would be understandable if you had, but just as understandable if you hadn’t. We won’t stay in China forever; at some point the winds of fate that blew us here will also blow us away. Until then, we’re going to continue making the most out of our time in this land of paradox.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
Silent Protest
Our compound has officially been designated as unsealed. But surprise surprise… it’s not. This is the 35th day that Denny and I have spent behind our gate, and no-one can adequately explain why these unsealing ‘rules’ don’t apply to us. Somebody somewhere has decided that it’s just easiest to keep us behind a padlock.
We’re still totally fine. It’s not that we’re getting used to it; we’re just trying to let the nonsense wash over us. The good news is that we’re no longer constantly worrying about food supplies. Government rations and collective purchases arrive in bulk at random intervals, triggering impromptu rounds of Vegetable Tetris and Egg Jenga. Most of our neighbours are Chinese, so these deliveries skew towards the dumpling and the wonton. There’s sadly no chance of organising group purchases of Haribo and Valium.
We’ve both been receiving little burns and cuts to our hands, evidence not only of how much time we’re spending preparing food, but also of our general cognitive decline. In the shower this morning, I forgot whether I had already shampooed or not. So maybe I did it twice today, I honestly don’t know.
I can’t speak for the whole city, each compound has it’s own set of circumstances, and all I can do is describe our own. One unifying factor is that we’ve all been asked to share photos of our negative test results in community WeChat groups, so at least these have become a creative outlet for silent protest. Apart from that, there’s nothing any of us can do but continue playing our parts in this theatre of the absurd.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
Digital Scavenging
So far Denny and I have been locked into our compound - in 2 stints - for a total of 24 days. In all this time there has never once been a positive case of COVID-19 in our lane, and it’s becoming clear that this fact doesn’t have any bearing on our ongoing collective imprisonment. We’re getting a little taste of what it means to be under extra-judicial house arrest. Shanghai has temporarily become a city of ten thousand modern gleaming mini Warsaw ghettos.
Before you worry, Denny and I are still doing fine. I’m checking in with friends and acquaintances across the city, and they’re also all doing fine, to varying degrees. None of us will starve. But on a daily basis we are all being forced to reflect on our primal needs for food, freedom, shelter and sanitation. In Chinese, one of the most common ways of greeting someone is ”吃饭了吗?” meaning “Have you eaten?” It’s only now that I’m realising the history of deprivation that must lie behind that phrase. Today, the first thing we say to each other over calls and texts is: “Do you have enough food”?
If you ask anyone in Shanghai what they’re doing, the answer will most likely revolve around food. Digital scavenging for online provisions before they sell out; keeping up with hundreds of text messages to bid for collective purchases; doing inventories of fridges and rearranging the contents in order of what’s rotting first; rationing ingredients; planning meals; preparing meals; cooking meals; washing up after meals: it’s an endless obsessive cycle. And a short sharp kick in the backside to a city that had become reliant on an over-abundance of restaurants and delivery services. Fancy diets are out the window at this point. We’re counting our carrots, preserving our potatoes, and oil is liquid gold.
This level of food scarcity may well be familiar to many who experienced some kind of lockdown over the last two years. But it’s freedom that’s in just as short supply in Shanghai. I don’t want to go into all of that right now. But let it be another wake-up call to those who complained about being encouraged to take vaccines, or politely asked to wear masks in grocery stores. Please have some perspective, your human rights will be just fine.
We’re still keeping healthy and happy, and in the last couple of days we’ve managed to get our hands on some butter, frozen steaks, and wine. This already makes us feel like some of the luckiest people in the city. So I’m not trying to elicit sympathy with this post, I just want to keep everyone up to date. Many many thanks to everyone who has been in touch, it really means a lot. I don’t plan on writing other updates after this, so you can assume that this will be the status quo until further notice. That’s going to be our assumption too.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
A Small Taste of Freedom?
Some positive news. 😊
Firstly, we managed to secure some supplies of food through a combined purchase with 2 other neighbouring compounds. 🍚🍎🍊🥛
Secondly, we left the compound for 10 minutes for a streetside COVID test, our first small taste of freedom in 5 days. ☀️🆓☀️
And finally, I suddenly remembered that we had some spare wheat beer that was gifted to us by Peter Fuchs just before we went on a wheat-free diet. So we decided to donate it to our compound, and brought a few smiles to the community. 😍🍻
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
Guys, You Can’t Control Omicron
Here’s a quick roundup of our personal situation in Shanghai right now.
We initially had a 9-day lockdown, after which we had 6 days of freedom. Now we’re on day 7 of our second lockdown, which has been even harsher than the first. But there are some people who have been locked in for the entire 3 week period. And others have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been carted off to central quarantine, separated from children and pets. So the situation for us isn’t as bad as others in Shanghai.
The food supply chain has practically ground to a halt, and grocery deliveries are almost impossible. Some of the larger residential compounds have been able to organise bulk orders from a few suppliers. But smaller compounds like ours have no buying power. For the first time, all the people in our compound have formed a group on WeChat, and it’s a full-time job to keep up with our collective attempts to bulk-purchase essentials such as eggs, milk, bread and apples. We have somehow managed to form an alliance with a couple of the other neighbouring lanes, so here’s hoping we can successfully manage something soon. In the meantime none of us are allowed to leave our individual apartments, and the gate to our compound remains locked from the outside. For the last few days, the only delivery we have personally received has been a care package of 10 eggs, some cured pork, and some weird powdered medicine.
We still have
- Netflix
- Booze
- Negative COVID test results
- Enough food for the next few days
We’re running low on
- Everything else
Despite all this, we’re doing OK. The sun is shining, the air is clean, and we’re keeping ourselves active and happy. It is what it is. In Shanghai we’ve had it easier than most others around the globe until now, so now it’s our turn. And all this is nothing compared to some parts of the world, where people are sheltering in basements rather than cosy apartments, with even less access to food and water, listening to their homes and schools and hospitals being bombed. 💙🙏🇺🇦💛
You’ll notice that at this point I’m not at all worried about COVID-19 itself. We’re triple vaccinated, and the omicron variant is both low-risk and near impossible to control. Let’s hope that the authorities here can come to the same conclusion soon. In their noble efforts to take care of the people of Shanghai, they’re demonstrating the true meaning of the phrase “killing us with kindness”. 😞
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
2022 Reads Like '2020 Too'
As you have probably read, China is experiencing its worst COVID-19 outbreak since early 2020, and around 40 million people across the country are currently on some kind of lockdown.
As I was attempting to leave our compound to get a cup of coffee this morning, I realised that this number now includes Denny and me.
The good news is that for now it’s just for 48 hours, we’re still allowed food deliveries, and the mandatory testing station is conveniently located at the school next door. The policeman guarding our gate was happy to take this photo.
We’re not the only ones in this situation, many of our friends in Shanghai also woke up to the same thing. Which is why for us, 2022 reads like “2020 too”.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
The New Normal in Shanghai
I’m conscious that for some people, I’m the only person they know on the ground in China. It’s been a while since I posted anything about the pandemic situation here. So here’s a quick update from today, October 21st 2020.
At this point we have avoided a large-scale second wave. But there are still localised sporadic outbreaks, after which that particular area goes back into a mini-lockdown. Testing, contact-tracing, the works. Right now there’s one in the city of Qingdao, a city on the Northeastern seaboard. During this period, anyone traveling back from a newly infected area goes into quarantine again. But all the while, the entire rest of the country continues as normal. And after a couple of weeks, the city comes out of lockdown and rejoins the rest of the country.
“Normal” feels pretty normal at this point in Shanghai. Many people still wear masks, but mainly as a courtesy. They’re only mandatory on public transport, at airports, and in other places where people might congregate in larger numbers. I never leave the house without at least having one in my pocket. It’s the same story with the health tracker on our phones, we’re always ready to show the code when asked, but these instances are getting rarer. Some buildings still take your temperature before allowing you to enter, but again it isn’t mandatory across the board. Most places are back to 100% occupancy.
Like everywhere else, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. But this is a quick snapshot of life in Shanghai right now.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
Ambivalence in Yunnan
Good news: There are relatively few cases of COVID-19 in China. 😃
Bad news: the borders are still closed for returning foreigners, so we‘re basically trapped here. ☹️
Good news: China is a big place, so we were able to take a 4-hour flight from Shanghai and still remain within the country. 😃
Bad news: the weather forecast for the next week here in Yunnan Province is solid rain. ☹️
Good news: at least it was dry enough to take this photo in Dali old town. 😃☹️😃☹️🤯
Brand New Steps
If you’re coming out of (or making plans to come out of) self-quarantine, here’s some quick advice from two months in the future.
Going back to your old routines is GREAT, no doubt about it. But now is also the best time to create some new ones. For better or worse (mostly worse) you’ve been forced to step out of your normal daily life for a couple of months. When else will you be given this chance to reinvent yourself?*
I suffer occasionally from light depression, and it gets way worse when I’m not active. So quarantine wasn’t easy, and I’ve been in a bit of a funk ever since. But what’s really helped is setting a new goal of walking AT LEAST 10,000 steps per day. Going from three months of limited activity in February up to a daily average of 14,156 steps in June has been a lifesaver, and I hope I can build this into my daily routine going forward.
*And yes, the snarky answer to this question is: “during the second wave”. Beijing is going back into temporary lock-down as we speak. But as of now, we’re still hopeful that the same won’t happen here in Shanghai...
A Symbol of Hope
On January 20th, I instagrammed a photo from the Shanghai Disney Resort. By January 24th, the park was closed, and it would remain so for over 100 days.
Today, it is the first Disneyland resort in the world to reopen, with reduced capacity and a slew of extra density control, screening and sanitation measures.
If ever the world needed an image that symbolises the hope of a scrupulously planned road to recovery, then the time is now and this is it.
The first episode of the Mosaic of China podcast was with Philippe Gas, who was the President and General Manager of the Shanghai Disney Resort. Despite my newbie technical errors, it’s still one of my favourite interviews of the season. Let’s hope Philippe’s philosophy of positivity and international cooperation will be another message of encouragement for the future.
For the Instagram version, see here.
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.
For the Mosaic of China version, see here.
The COVID-19 TV Bingeing Guide
In the spirit of selfless civic duty, I have spent the last few years watching an unhealthy amount of TV, just so that one day I can offer you this menu of binge-watching, to be enjoyed while sitting at home in your fetid undergarments.
To qualify for my personal🥇GOLD LIST🥇, these series need to fulfill the following subjective criteria:
I’ve watched them fully,
In recent years,
And I recommend them from start to finish.
🔹 30 Rock
(2006-2014, 7 seasons. Lovable goofiness).
🔸 After Life
(2019-Present, 1 season. Am not a Gervais fan, but this is a sublime piece of work).
🔹 Arrested Development
(2003-2019, 5 seasons. Arch humour with great running gags).
🔸 Billy on the Street
(2011-2017, 5 seasons. Rudeness, elevated to an art form).
🔹 Bojack Horseman
(2014-2020, 6 seasons. Dark comedy about an amoral misanthrope way past his prime. Relatable).
🔸 Breaking Bad
(2008-2013, 5 seasons. Crime, cancer and an incredible character arc).
🔹 Broadchurch
(2013-2017, 3 seasons. High suspense plus Olivia Coleman equals brilliance).
🔸 Chernobyl
(2019, 1 season. Bleak and catastrophic masterpiece).
🔹 The Crown
(2016-Present, 3 seasons. The royalty, in a highly watchable historical soap opera).
🔸 Curb Your Enthusiasm
(2010-Present, 10 seasons. Cringeworthy farcical nothingness).
🔹 Dead To Me
(2019-Present, 1 season. Deftly-executed gallows humour).
🔸 Derry Girls
(2018-Present, 2 seasons. Irreverent Northern-Irish black comedy with a massive heart).
🔹 Downtown Abbey
(2010-2015, 6 seasons. Like watching 50 hours of Gosford Park).
🔸 Fleabag
(2016-2019, 2 seasons. If you haven’t watched it yet, just do it. That is all).
🔹 Game of Thrones
(2011-2019, 8 seasons. Epic storytelling. The first fantasy TV series I ever genuinely liked).
🔸 The Good Place
(2016-2020, 4 seasons. Starts as a high-concept comedy and turns into so much more).
🔹 Grace & Frankie
(2015-Present, 6 seasons. Light and frothy comedy, redeemed by its charm and honesty).
🔸 The Great British Bake-Off
(2010-Present, 10 seasons. Pure calorific escapism).
🔹 The Kominsky Method
(2018-Present, 2 seasons. Poignant and understated masterclass in comedy acting).
🔸 Mad Men
(2007-2015, 7 seasons. The high watermark of drama depicting 60s sex and cynicism).
🔹 The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
(2017-Present, 3 seasons. A perfect period piece portraying comedy chutzpah in the 50s).
🔸 Orange is the New Black
(2013-2019, 6 seasons. Prison comedy-drama which dips in the middle, but nails the ending).
🔹 Ozark
(2017-Present, 3 seasons. Surprisingly gripping redneck narco crime thriller).
🔸 Parks and Recreation
(2009-2015, 7 seasons. Smart sitcom silliness).
🔹 Queer Eye
(2018-Present, 5 seasons. I know my emotions are being manipulated, but I don’t care).
🔸 Rick & Morty
(2013-Present, 5 seasons. Original, creative, snarky, puerile genius).
🔹 Rupaul’s Drag Race
(2009-Present, 12 seasons. OTT reality show showcasing OTT talent).
🔸 Russian Doll
(2019-Present, 1 season. Dark, druggy, mysterious version of Groundhog Day).
🔹 Sex Education
(2019-Present, 2 seasons. Comedy, drama, teenage angst and Gillian Anderson).
🔸 Schitt’s Creek
(2015-2020, 6 seasons. Starts absurd. Turns endearing. Ends up “simply the best”).
🔹 Sherlock
(2010-2017, 4 seasons. What happens when quality writing, acting and production coincide).
🔸 Stranger Things
(2016-Present, 3 seasons. I don’t usually watch horror or sci-fi. So these guys must be doing something right).
🔹 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
(2015-2019, 4 seasons. Odd. Hilarious).
🔸 Veep
(2012-2019, 7 seasons. An uncannily authentic portrayal of U.S. politics. Oh wait sorry it’s supposed to be a satirical comedy).
🔹 The West Wing
(1999-2006, 7 seasons. Brilliant, smart, moving, idealistic, political nirvana).
🔸 The Wire
(2002-2008, 5 seasons. A drama that takes its time to explore the intersection of politics, society and crime).
Please show me yours. (I mean your gold lists, not your undergarments).
For the Facebook version, see here.
For the LinkedIn version, see here.