Overcoming Boredom During Lockdown – LAS Must-See Shows

January 19, 2021

By Tanner Watt, Municipal Energy Specialist

The pandemic result in many changes to our lives, one of which being the way we keep ourselves entertained. Going out to a restaurant or pub was sometimes impossible, and places like live theatres, museums, and sports venues have been restricted or closed for months. The idea of a casual dinner party with friends now feels like a foreign concept. Our strategies for coping with this are all different and have changed over time. My initial plans looked something like this:

March: I’m going to get to the bottom of that pile of books I’ve been meaning to read, reorganize my closets, and learn how to bake the perfect pie.

But over time the result became a bit less ambitious than I had hoped.

November: I can’t tell where the couch ends and I begin.

Because many of us may be running out of shows on the ‘to watch’ list, I’ve surveyed the LAS team to find out what they’ve been enjoying during the last 11 months of lockdowns and social distancing. Perhaps one of them will bring a bit of enjoyment to you and your family during this latest lockdown.

Our family had been watching old seasons of Heartland together over the past year and have caught up to the latest season starting this month. We really appreciate the wholesome family friendly storyline and valuable life lessons that can be pulled from each episode. Not to mention it’s a Canadian show set in rural Alberta – the scenery is amazing!
- Jeff Barten, Energy & Asset Services Manager

My favourite pandemic escape has been The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. It has a great story line, and the perfect blend of action and comedy to keep me entertained. Can’t wait for Season 3 next year! Honourable mention goes to the Great Canadian Baking Show – binge watching all three seasons of that has led to a few great successes (and more than a few epic failures) in my own kitchen.
- Tanner Watt, Municipal Energy Specialist

I wonder if it’s a coincidence that my go-to programs are double M’s and crime-ridden: Murdoch Mysteries and Murder Maps. The former is fiction, but I love that it’s a Canadian production. The main character, Detective Murdoch, is able to solve crimes through his MacGuyer-esque inventions. The series starts in the late nineteenth century and brings you into the early twentieth century. The modern-day references sometimes gives the episodes a touch of humour. I love how they merge real historical events in the City of Toronto (and surrounding areas) with real personalities from history. Murder Maps, on the other hand, is a series that documents real murders and maps them out. It’s dramatic, uses fantastic graphics, and I enjoy the re-enactments supported by original footage and photos. I think I missed my calling as a forensic scientist.
- Fernanda Lazzaro, LAS Customer Service Representative

I’m a bit late to it, but I’ve really enjoyed the dark comedy drama of HBO’s Succession. Watching the dysfunction unfold within an ailing media mogul’s family is cringe viewing but it’s extremely enjoyable. Great ensemble cast, writing is superb, and the production value is flawless. The scenes between Matthew Macfadyen and Nicholas Braun’s characters are riotously funny. It’s worth watching just for those sequences alone.
- Nicholas Ruder, Research Advisor, AMO/LAS

I really enjoy watching The Expanse, it’s a sci-fi tv series that has well-developed characters, anti-heroes, plot twists and general mayhem about conspiracies that threaten the solar system’s cold war. Very riveting, actors are terrific and well worth the watch.
I’ve also quite enjoyed Succession, season 2 much more than season 1. The character development and plot twists and wry dark humor of these somewhat unlikable characters of a very wealthy family makes you inexplicably look forward to watching the next episode.
- Susan Weiss, Administrative Assistant, AMO/LAS/ONE

TV has been an excellent babysitter for our toddler while we juggle working from home. My son discovered “Cocomelon” Nursery Rhymes, “Peppa Pig” and “Stinky and Dirty” a cartoon about an excavator and a garbage truck. We even got him to sit still for one hour with the Disney movie “Moana”. I appreciated the example of a strong female lead.
My personal pandemic oasis is “Working Moms” on Netflix. It was filmed at all my favorite places in Toronto, particularly on the East side of the city (I am an eastsider). It reminds me of the pre-pandemic Toronto and all the beauty and entertainment it offers.
- Aliya Khayat, Billing and Settlement Clerk

Ozark – Interested in the dark world of drugs and money laundering, then Ozark is the show. The characters are great, the storyline gets better with each season and overall intensity keeps you on the edge of your seat. Get caught up with 3 seasons on Netflix before Season 4 (final season) expected sometime in 2021.
- Eleonore Schneider, ONE Program Manager