<body><div>All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.TV is in a weird, wild place right now. We’re post-monoculture. Post-prestige. The Golden Age is over. There’s more TV than ever before in human history, and yet, it can feel harder than ever to find something worthwhile to watch. And, with the flood of streaming services (Fubo? Freevee?? MGM+???) to even know where to watch it.GQ is here to help you out. Not by necessarily telling you what to watch or where to watch it—but how.Welcome to How to Watch TV. It’s a collection of new rules for TV fans in the post–Peak TV era. Because, when you think about it, how much do you know about people’s TV habits behind closed doors? How much are they watching, for how long, and with whom? GQ staff are laying out our takes on a variety of hot-button issues (If you’ve been watching a streaming show with your partner, is it cheating to watch an episode without them?), along with advice on technology, recommendations, endorsements, and at least a few wildly indefensible claims (In defense of motion smoothing).Life is short—if you’re going to waste some of it watching TV, here’s how to waste it more effectively.Simply put, good TV is like a bottle of wine. And—in my best aughts DVD menu voice—you wouldn't chug a glass of Pinot. See where I'm going with this? For every Nobody Wants This, which is practically a movie chopped up into 10 episodes and all but begs to be marathoned, there's something like Industry or Succession, shows whose episodes are so distinct and substantial that they're built to sustain a week's worth of discourse in between airings. Imagine watching “Connor's Wedding” and just...rolling into the next episode? Let it breathe a little. —Frazier TharpeIt’s crucial to have one show in your rotation around which there is zero discourse. Maybe it’s an obscure detective show buried deep in BritBox, maybe it’s something that’s long been off the air (highly recommend cruising through 11 seasons of Frasier during a bleak pandemic winter). Either way, there’s this blissful experience where, simultaneously (a) nobody in the real world is talking about the show and (b) nobody in the show is talking about anything happening in the real world. It’s basically a meditation retreat. —Gabriella PaiellaI’ve written in-depth on this, but my contention is simple. There are certain shows that are tailor-made for a hotel room, and those shows pack a way harder punch when consumed in that setting. Is Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives better than The Sopranos? No, it is not. But after a cross-country flight, perhaps after a lackluster meal from whatever nearby restaurant was still open? It’s in the conversation. —Matthew RobersonWe have a suggestion. —Alex Pappademas<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1VwYWO_0wC6FAWB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1VwYWO_0wC6FAWB00" width="1400" height="1171" ><figcaption>Photo by&nbsp;Devin Yalkin / The New York Times / Courtesy of 42West</figcaption></figure>“When it comes to series, one hears a lot about universe building. What David Lynch has done is build an entirely alternate universe that is not science-fiction, that is somehow located in this horrible/wonderful small town that maybe you wished you lived in.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=054etb_0wC6FAWB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=054etb_0wC6FAWB00" width="1400" height="1171" ><figcaption>Image Courtesy of Terrence Winter</figcaption></figure>“I highly recommend The Singing Detective, the six-part BBC miniseries from 1986 written by Dennis Potter, directed by Jon Amiel, and starring Michael Gambon. Equal parts film noir, mystery, and Broadway musical, it's also a deeply personal and poignant memoir about pain, suffering, and growing up. It's worth watching for the soundtrack alone.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3BbAoO_0wC6FAWB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3BbAoO_0wC6FAWB00" width="1400" height="1171" ><figcaption>John Nacion / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>"Le Bureau des Légendes. French espionage thriller by Éric Rochant. Five seasons. Very granular and modern spy craft, contemporary geopolitical themes, tense shifting allegiances, incredibly grounded, brilliant central performance from Mathieu Kassovitz. Watch it now before the Paramount+ English-language remake so you can say you were early and ‘preferred the original.’” —K.K.“The original (British) House of Cards. Francis Urquhart is the deliciously wicked but charming urtext to Frank Underwood. Shorter, snobbier, campier, and arguably funnier grandfather to Beau Willimon’s excellent remake.”—M.D.Here are our top three TV recommendations across price points.SamsungThe FrameThe Samsung Frame is, believe it or not, really that good—as is the actual picture and sound. Not only that, but with the included Slim-Fit Wall Mount, you can hang The Frame flush against the wall like a real art piece.RokuRoku 65" Pro Series 4K QLED Smart TVRoku is the name of the game in streaming TVs, and with an incredibly approachable interface, easy-to-use navigation, and razor-sharp details, it’s a no-brainer pickup for your living room. And, the brand's newer remotes come with voice activation.HisenseHisense U6 65" Mini-LED 4K TVIf you’re looking for the best value pick when it comes to TVs, look no further than this model from Hisense. With a grip of different systems that dial in your picture at a price that won’t break the bank for a 65-inch screen, you can’t go wrong.—Ian BurkeP.S. While you’re at it, build a sound system that actually works.Here’s everything you need for a primo home-theater setup.We are in television’s post-prestige era, when every streaming service has adopted the form of the mid-aughts Golden Age, but (usually) without the quality content. A major way this has manifested is that every show is as dark and moody as possible. This is a problem, because televisions are set up by default to look appealing next to 30-packs of toilet paper at Costco, not to perfectly reproduce the tones of Nicole Kidman looking concerned at twilight. It can often be hard to tell what is going on, and tweaking your TV’s settings can help a lot: Everyone knows to turn off the hated motion smoothing at this point, thanks to Tom Cruise, but almost as important is correctly setting the brightness, contrast, and color balance. The best way to do that is the Spears &amp; Munsil Blu-Ray calibration disc beloved by home-theater dorks around the world. I can’t promise this will fix all of your too-dark TV woes, but if, hypothetically, the cinematographer of one of the most disappointing television episodes of all time blamed his mess on his viewers’ TV settings, you get to think: “Sorry bro, the problem is you—I calibrated my shit with a special Blu-Ray.” —Chris CohenOver-the-air TV feels like magic whenever I put it on: When seemingly every tech and media company is foaming for my monthly $11.99, it’s remarkable that a $30 antenna lets me pick up the major networks for free. If you, like me, rotate between paying for the big streaming services one at a time, it’s very nice to also have baseline coverage for local news and the last gasps of the American monoculture—the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Oscars, Steve Kornacki on election night—all in pure uncompressed high definition, using (somehow!?) roughly the same technology as AM radio. — C.C.If you’re watching something that’s not in your native language—which you should!—opt for subs over dubs. Dubbing quality may have come a long way in the last few decades, but it never doesn’t sound somewhat stilted or awkward. —G.P.You’re welcome. —G.P.There are, like, 5,343 original series in production right now. The pre-streaming years used to encourage you to touch grass by default, but now there are no reruns. TV doesn't even take the summer off anymore. All of these apps are calling us to the screen on a 24/7 basis like Poltergeist, and you'll get sucked in if you let them. In that case, setting some personal limits seems paramount—sort of in the same vein of how the iPhone tries to shame us with screentime reports. So let's say we should all try to watch no more than eight hours of TV a week—keeping up with everything that's good and buzzing is a full-time job. Certain times of the year may even encourage a little overtime…. But approaching double-digit hours of keeping up with your stories is the wake-up call we all need to go outside again. —F.T.I know this feels good. You know this feels good. So good that you probably even have a designated show to snooze to. But you should also know by now that bedtime-blue-light exposure will only lead to shit sleep. Crack a book instead. —G.P.Don't give me shit about REM sleep. When you need to power down and you're not the type to knock out right away, the right show can be the perfect lull. There's a right way to do it: Sleep timer, a certain volume level, and, crucially, always the same show. And it's not about being your favorite show—it should be something that won't get you too excited and defeat the purpose, i.e., a sitcom. (No one can sleep to "The Suitcase.") Pick one you've seen a hundred times, that isn't too raucous. Mine is Frasier. Do with that information what you will. —F.T.Of course it’s tempting to mess around on your phone while you’re watching TV (little screen and big screen?!), but there’s more than one reason to just lock in instead. For starters you won’t have to constantly be rewinding because you’ve missed a crucial plot point. More insidious is the fact that the rise of second-screen viewing means that network execs are pushing for more shows that are dumbed-down enough that people can follow them even while on their phones half the time. Refreshing Instagram Reels nonstop while you watch means worse TV for all of us. —G.P.There are limits to this—don’t loiter on the weight bench watching Shogun on a six-inch screen. But a quick cure to the inevitable monotony of the treadmill, elliptical, or stairmaster? Fire up something light and frothy and let the miles fly by. —G.P.So, you and your beloved are finally binging Game of Thrones. Good for you. You’re three seasons in now, fully understand the hype, and the noble Robb Stark has just sat down for his wedding reception. All of a sudden, “The Rains of Castamere” starts playing and…is that…drool on your shoulder? Yes, it is. Your partner’s infamous entertainment-induced narcolepsy has struck again—at the worst possible moment.At this stage, as an ethical and respectful significant other, you should reach for the remote, shut it off before anything gets spoiled, and carry your sweet snoring loved one to bed, right? Absolutely not. Especially if this is a recurring issue, forcing yourself to endure TV blue balls is nothing but a recipe for resentment. The only logical solution is to watch the entire episode, relieve the tension and curiosity that’s been building inside you, and then solemnly swear not to discuss anything about the episode until your partner is able to watch it themselves in a more wakeful moment. And if they request that you join them for that mulligan viewing? Do so gracefully—but also don’t be afraid to whip out your phone and film their horrified reactions when the Red Wedding does its thing. —Yang-Yi Goh<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4AJLus_0wC6FAWB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4AJLus_0wC6FAWB00" width="1400" height="1171" ><figcaption>Mindy Tucker / Courtesy of Josh Gondelman</figcaption></figure>I think it's really helpful to have shows that you watch separately, so that you're not tempted to push ahead on mutual-viewing shows without your partner. When I’m out of the house, my wife, Maris, watches shows about silly mysteries that take place on boats and somber mysteries that take place in Philadelphia. And I watch a lot of sports and stand-up specials and shows about jovial bros after she falls asleep. —Josh Gondelman, comedian, writer, and wife guyThere is no negotiation more important in my household than deciding what my partner and I should watch right before we start digging into dinner. Learn from us—and don't let the food go cold—by making sure you’ve already discussed and landed on a TV choice you're both excited about. (Sex and the City always pairs well with a meal.) —Carolina Gonzalez<ol><li>If you’re going to watch TV together, watch it together. That means you pick a program you can both get excited about. I don't ask my wife to watch Dune: Part Two with me and she doesn't ask me to watch The View.</li><li>Negotiate how you’re going to watch. Some people like watching in silence. Some people like running commentary. Often that's gender-specific. Negotiate that up front.</li><li>Talk about it after. Don't just watch it passively. Talk about your thoughts and feelings. Use it.</li><li>Use it as something that you like—not as an avoidance of intimacy. You watch TV along with having talks with each other and enjoying each other, not instead of.</li></ol>What are you all doing up there? And why are you asking so many questions about the plot? Just take a load off and sit on the couch with the rest of us. It’s nice down here. —G.P.Whether they’re falling for AI slop on Facebook or parroting whatever cable news channel they’re loyal to, your parents, if you’re fortunate enough to still have them, may make you cringe with their media consumption. You should give them whatever grace you can. Leaving them to watch their stories and sports and political programs in peace, with motion smoothing on, is an easy opportunity to do that. Filmmakers and Redditors hate the “uncanny” look created by this default setting, but if your parents are anything like mine, they’ll hate you messing with their TV even more. —Nick CatucciPublic conversation about television is deadly. Under the right circumstances, sure, it's harmless enough to ask an acquaintance if they watched I Think You Should Leave, especially if you see a guy in a hot dog suit. But when you find yourself explaining the plot of Shogun over lagers at the team happy hour, or insisting that season four of The Wire is a modern masterpiece at a karaoke bar, then it's time for you to reel it in. Also, everyone gets somewhere between 3 and 11 TV show recommendations every day. So just assume yours is the 12th, and that whoever you're talking to is never going to watch any of them. If you really can't resist, simply say, “Hey, I really think you should check out Cheers.” But save your spiel about how the show is an allegory for the working class and oppressive social structures. —Noah Johnson<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3A8E53_0wC6FAWB00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3A8E53_0wC6FAWB00" width="1400" height="1171" ><figcaption>Josh Sisk / Courtesy of Kyle Chayka</figcaption></figure>Netflix doesn't want you to find interesting TV. It's been a while since streaming home pages have delivered anything cool instead of just the latest half-season of Emily in Paris episodes or Bridgerton spinoff. Searching barely helps, because the platform makes it useless. You have to get off of the platforms to find good TV, and then go back on them to access it. I recommend searching for streaming productions from other countries. Check out what the BBC is putting out, or France's Canal+, or DR from Denmark. Another hack is to browse the foreign-language streaming options on international flights. (Don't just watch John Wick again—you wouldn't order a bagel in Paris, would you?) That's how I found Valeria, Spain's millennial version of Sex and the City (on Netflix), and the French show HPI about an amateur woman detective. My real secret for getting good TV, though? The Pirate Bay. Google it. —Kyle Chayka, author of Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture and New Yorker contributorHas its algorithm sent countless impressionable young people (and uncritical thinkers of any age) down a radicalization rabbit hole, straight into the clown mouth of Jordan Petersen and his degenerate ilk? I mean, yeah, probably. Still, though: Streaming has taught us that the best TV slate is one you curate entirely for yourself, a.k.a. the only person whose taste you can trust. And YouTube remains unbeatable as a place to do that. Show me the streamer who’ll serve me a live Eric Dolphy/Charles Mingus concert filmed in Belgium in 1964, home movies of Disneyland’s long-defunct Mission to Mars ride, Michael Mann’s unstreamable rough-draft-of-Heat TV movie L.A. Takedown, the making-of documentary from the DVD of Magnolia, Charlie Rose talking to David Foster Wallace about David Lynch, the John Mulaney Hot Ones episode, Mitch Hedberg’s first Comedy Central special, The Byrds playing “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” at Hugh Hefner’s pad, and that one clip of Jay-Z hearing Timbaland play the “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” beat for the first time—lost TV, foreign TV, stuff that was never on TV but should have been—and I will sign the heck up. Until then, I’ll be over here, at my job as head of programming at the Alex Channel. —A.P.Despite seriously investing in quality original programming with major talent, Apple TV+ continues to have tons of shows that fly way under the radar. (And also a very popular show where Idris Elba saves the day, in part via in-flight game system. Don't think too hard about it.) It’s the home of Prestige Dad TV for a reason. —G.P.The thought of firing up cable news, especially during an election year, is enough to give me agita. But I’m a die-hard local-news watcher. My preferred network is NY1, which makes where I live, the biggest city in America, feel like a small town. One memorable segment was strictly about the shortest streets in every borough—I’d like to see CNN try to pull that off. —G.P.Cable is the only proper way to watch sports now, as cable has the goated “previous channel” option, cable does not force you to purchase and download five different streaming apps to watch a game, and most importantly, cable does not buffer. —M.R.When people complain about whatever annoying television commercial is currently ruling their living room, I’m always puzzled. How are you, an adult, letting the ads win? You can simply mute them. Do it until it becomes a habit. Whether it’s live television, YouTube, or the ads on whatever streaming service you’re using, smash that mute button and enjoy 60 seconds of zen. —M.R.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

How to Watch TV

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. TV is in a weird, wild place right now. We’re post-monoculture. Post-prestige. The Golden Age is over. There’s more TV than ever before in human history, and yet, it can feel harder than ever to find something worthwhile to watch. And, with the flood of streaming services (Fubo? Freevee?? MGM+???) to even know where to watch it.