TV for two: the best series to watch together
Last updated: August 1, 2025
Picking something to watch as a couple can be proper tricky. You're after something gripping, they want reality TV. But when you stumble on a show that actually keeps you both glued to the screen and gives you loads to chat about afterwards – that's the sweet spot. Here are five series that nail it.
Severance (Apple TV+)
Workers get their brains surgically split so they can't remember anything about home when they're at work, or vice versa. It starts as a weird workplace comedy but turns into this proper mind-bending thriller about identity and control that gets darker with every episode.
Why couples love it: You'll spend ages debating what's real. What the company's actually up to and whether the characters are the same people at work and home.
The Bear (Disney+)
A chef inherits his dead brother's mental Chicago sandwich place and spends every episode trying to stop it going under. Starts off looking like pure kitchen madness but turns into this proper emotional thing about dealing with loss and living up to family expectations.
Why couples love it: Every character feels like someone you'd actually meet, dealing with real problems while trying to make something work together. The kitchen scenes are so tense you'll find yourselves holding your breath.
This Is Going To Hurt (BBC iPlayer)
Junior doctor dealing with the absolute madness of NHS life, based on real experiences that show just how mental the healthcare system actually is. It jumps between funny and heartbreaking and sometimes in the same scene.
Why couples love it: Captures what it's really like when your job matters but the system's fighting against you at every turn. You'll recognize that shattered feeling and the dark jokes people make to get by.
Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
The MI5 rejects nobody wants get thrown the cases that actually turn out to matter, with Gary Oldman as their cynical boss who sees potential in people everyone else has written off. It's spy stuff but focused on the failures and misfits rather than the glamorous agents.
Why couples love it: Really clever writing that doesn't show off about being clever. You'll get invested in these underdogs proving they're better than anyone thought.
Taskmaster (Channel 4)
Comedians do completely pointless tasks while Greg Davies judges them with logic that makes no sense. They makes failing at stupid tasks look like an art form, and somehow the most creative solutions are usually the most mental ones.
Why couples love it:Sometimes you just want to watch something cozy like comedians making fun of themselves without having to think about anything serious.
Watch without the usual arguments
The best shows for couples work because neither of you feels like you're settling. These ones get that watching together isn't about finding something you can both tolerate – it's about creating those moments where you're both properly into it, whether you're trying to solve mysteries, arguing about characters, or just cracking up at the same silly bits.
