What 11 Famous Canadians Are Streaming During Quarantine

Photo: Courtesy of Esi Edugyan

Esi Edugyan, Author

I just finished the second season of Mindhunter (Netflix). It’s an intelligent, brooding crime drama with the cool aesthetic of Mad Men. I was riveted. For lighter fare, I turned to season 10 of Curb Your Enthusiasm (Crave), which was, as always, irreverent and delightful.

Here are more underrated shows on Netflix Canada you can binge right now!

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Heather O’Neill, Author

I love Succession (Crave). It is about a media mogul who has decided to name a successor to his empire. He manipulates and torments his children, dangling the role of CEO in front of each of them. You see the ways in which wealth and greed twist the personalities of those who grow up in its vast arms. The acting is phenomenal, and the writing is astute and hilarious. It sucks you in like a high-powered vacuum.

Do you remember these classic Canadian TV shows?

Photo: Punch Photographic, 2013

Emma Donoghue, Author

The series Chernobyl (Crave) is extraordinarily suspenseful and beautifully filmed, with awe-inducing visuals of catastrophe. Even more importantly, it dramatizes the dogged heroism of scientists insisting on the facts in the face of willfully ignorant, tyrannous leaders in a way that couldn’t be more timely in our COVID-19 moment.

Photo: Courtesy of Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot, Musician

I recently watched Biography: Kenny Rogers (A&E). He was a giant of the industry, and I admire him very much. The documentary captures his fabulous songs and the exceptional work he did with such duet partners as Dolly Parton, Dottie West, Lionel Richie and others.

No live shows for the foreseeable future? No problem! These spectacular concert films bring the live show experience right to your home.

Photo: Courtesy of Eden Robinson

Eden Robinson, Author

My recommendation would be Killing Eve (Crave). First, I adore Sandra Oh. She’s luminous as a security operative whose life becomes intertwined with an assassin played by the equally wonderful Jodie Comer. I love the action and tension but also, more importantly, the way the characters are given space and time to be their own quirky selves.

These are the highest-rated movies on Netflix Canada, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

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Matt Galloway, Radio Host

We’re watching one thing a week as a family. We’re using the opportunity, when we’d normally be pulled in four different directions, to go slow and be together in the same room. The biggest hit so far was JoJo Rabbit (Amazon Prime). It’s smart and funny and subversive and weird enough that two teenagers could enjoy it with their parents. And the song at the end of the film will make you cry.

Here are the most underrated shows on Amazon Prime Video.

Photo: Martin Brown

Perdita Felicien, Athlete

If binge watching television were an Olympic sport during social isolation, I’d bring home the gold medal. Of the many shows I’ve seen, one of my favourites has been Raising Dion (Netflix). It’s about a single mother who must protect her son after she discovers he has superpowers. I assumed it was a show for kids, but with all its twists and turns, every member of the family will find it highly entertaining.

Check out these other hidden gems on Netflix Canada.

PHOTO: JOCELYN MICHEL/LE CONSULAT

David Suzuki, Activist

I am fortunate to be in isolation with my wife, daughter, son-in-law and their three young children. Helping take care of the grandkids is a full-time job, but I’ve managed to watch the Michael Jordan docu-series The Last Dance (Netflix). It’s a fantastic insight into an incredible athlete. In some ways, it’s painful to watch a hero being torn off his pedestal by media and others who are hungry to find reasons why he isn’t perfect. For me, he becomes even more heroic in the way he responds to the criticism.

Don’t miss these other amazing sports documentaries!

Photo: Courtesy of Keely Shaw

Keely Shaw, Paralympian

I’ve been loving both House (Amazon Prime) and Grey’s Anatomy (Netflix). They make for great quarantine binges because they’re a perfect balance of science, drama and snarky humour.

Photo: Courtesy of Eva Holland

Eva Holland, Author

I’d seen a lot of people talking about Cheer (Netflix) on social media, and I thought, really? Cheerleading? But when I settled in to watch it, the show blew me away. Cheer follows America’s top competitive cheerleading team through a season of training, as they prepare to defend their national title. The imagery and the sound draw you into the brutal physicality of the sport, as the tiny young women who serve as “flyers” soar twenty feet into the air and then smack back down onto the braced forearms of their male teammates. Or, sometimes onto the hardwood floor. There are injuries and incredible athletic feats aplenty, but the heart of the show is its cast of characters: the kids who give their lives to cheerleading, and the coach who rules over them all.

Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Rubin

Jeff Rubin, Author

The Last Dance (Netflix) is a fascinating profile of a superstar’s all-consuming competitive drive. Just goes to show that success isn’t solely about talent. And Michael Jordan has been as successful off the court as he was on it. He is the only player in the history of the league to become a majority owner of an NBA franchise.

Looking for more streaming recommendations? These feel-good movies on Netflix Canada are guaranteed to lift your spirits!