Before my husband and I had children, dates nights were a weekly occurrence. Now that we have three young boys, we take what we can get. Frequent date nights just aren’t possible during this season of life, so one of our favorite ways to get a date night in is by watching TV together after the boys go to bed. I genuinely love Curious George, but sometimes it’s nice to watch shows that aren’t animated or involve talking animals. We love finding shows to watch as a couple, but we have different taste in TV as well, so we have quite a few we watch separately when our schedules allow it.
Television and technology have come a long way since I was a child, so the possibilities are endless when it comes to snagging some adult screen time. There are so many streaming services and apps to go alongside cable TV now that the world of television is at your fingertips!
Here’s a list of some of our favorite TV shows:
Cable/YouTube TV (We ditched our regular cable last year and switched to YouTube TV — we love it!)
The Big Bang Theory: We are huge fans of The Big Bang Theory. We’ve watched this show faithfully for the last seven years, and we’re extremely sad this is the last season. It’s absolutely hilarious, and since the episodes are only 30 minutes, it’s not a big time commitment right before bed. If you do streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, this show unfortunately isn’t found on them.
This is Us: I tend to watch this show by myself, and I always have tissues close at hand! You can find this show on Hulu as well.
Splitting Up Together: I started this show last year when it first came out, and I really liked it! Some of it is a bit silly, but it’s only 30 minutes, and I found myself really liking the characters. This is also on Hulu.
The Walking Dead: I watched the first several seasons of this with my husband, but it got to be a little too much for me. He still watches it faithfully though. It can be found on Netflix as well.
Netflix
Parenthood: This is my favorite TV show of all time — nothing beats it! It’s about a big family and how they handle the ups and downs of life. I laughed and cried in every episode. It’s a great one to binge watch!
Dexter: This is another all-time favorite! This show is about a serial killer who murders other serial killers. It isn’t for the faint of heart, but my husband and I loved it. Even though he’s a bad guy, you fall in love with Dexter and root for him all eight seasons.
The Office: This show holds a special place in my heart. I watched it from day one when it came on network TV, and Andy and I have rewatched it countless times. It produced my favorite TV show character ever, Jim Halpert.
Gilmore Girls: If Stars Hollow were a real place, I’d pack my bags and move there. Gilmore Girls can be a bit cheesy at times, but I love the story and characters. It’s a great girl show!
Breaking Bad: This is another one that Andy and I watch together. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart either, but it’s got a great story line and wonderful characters.
The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes: If you’re a fan of HGTV style shows, you’ll love this one! The hosts travel all over the world to see some truly amazing homes.
Scandal: This is another great drama that keeps you guessing the whole time!
Hulu (Hulu is great because if you don’t have cable, you can find many of the big network shows a day or two after they air!)
Fixer Upper: I’m a huge fan of Chip and Joanna, so even though I’ve seen every episode, I still watch them on here.
Vikings: My husband is a huge fan of time period/historical shows, and he flew through this one. It’s a current show, so you can catch up before the new season starts.
The Handmaid’s Tale: I’m currently reading this book, so I can’t wait to start the show. I don’t expect it to be lighthearted!
Seinfeld: This classic never gets old!
HBO
Big Little Lies: I loved this book and show. It’s a cross between a Real Housewives feel and a murder mystery.
Game of Thrones: I’m pretty sure everyone I know watches this but me. My husband blew through it this summer, and he can’t wait until the final season comes out.
Amazon (If you’re an Amazon Prime member, their streaming service is included! There are lots of great shows and movies you can watch. They even have several live sporting events on Prime Video if you don’t have cable.)
Outlander: This is another show based on a book series. It’s technically a Starz show, but I watch it through a Starz subscription on Amazon. This is a time period show, which typically isn’t my thing, but it’s got a great love story!
Downton Abbey: It took me several episodes to understand what the characters were saying, but once I could follow, I loved Downton Abbey.
Jack Ryan: This is right up my husband’s alley.
Man vs. Wild: We are huge fans of Bear Grylls, so much that our dog, Bear, was partially named after him. You can’t go wrong watching this show!
Now that the weather is cooling off a bit, I hope this list inspires you to cuddle up on the couch one evening with your significant other. Just grab some junk food and you’ll have a very inexpensive date night in the comfort of your own home!
