31 Pieces Of Entertainment You Can Sink Some Serious Hours Into

TV, movies, video games, music, and comics with huge back catalogs for you to enjoy.

1. Breath of the Wild

Nintendo

Never before has any video game felt as open and free as the latest installment in the Legend of Zelda franchise. As usual, you play as Link and are on a quest to save Princess Zelda and the world. This time, you're dropped in a field with an ancient-looking phone and some shorts. Slowly, you can gather your resources, meet allies, and hone your skills before taking on the Big Bad, Calamity Ganon. Oooooor, you can just charge right in.

The freedom to do whatever you want in the game is exhilarating. You can challenge tough enemies right away or choose to run away from everything until you find better weapons. Or you can just go for long horseback rides and watch the sunset while sitting next to a waterfall in the jungle. The game is fun and scary and stressful, but it can also be peaceful and serene. It's really all about how you prefer to play it. I, for one, really enjoyed hanging out in the tundra hunting moose and cooking up grub. Other people like to play with the physics with often interesting results. This game can take anywhere from 50 to 182 hours to complete, depending on how much of a completionist you are.

Download it from Nintendo for $59.99 or buy it from Target for $49.49.

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

WB

Sometimes I legit get teary-eyed thinking about how good Buffy the Vampire Slayer is. Its influence can still be felt in all the best fantasy television shows on today. Even if you never watched when it was on the air, it's never too late to try out this classic WB teen drama. You have strong female characters, gay witches, stuffy British dudes, a musical episode, a healthy dose of the occult — what more could you want? With seven seasons and 22 episodes a pop, this show can tide you over for at least a month.

Watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a Hulu subscription.

3. The Vampire Diaries

The CW

It's not like The Vampire Diaries is as good as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it certainly satisfies all your fantasy drama needs. After I first finished all of Buffy, I felt disoriented, lost, and in desperate need to fill the hole the show left behind. VD works in a pinch. It has vampires, witches, ancient curses, werewolves, and tons of angsty, teen romance. Boasting eight seasons and a somewhat decent spin-off (The Originals), this is a great time killer. The plot moves at breakneck speed and somehow manages to end each episode with a completely bananas cliff hanger. It has 40 minute episodes, so buckle up for a looooot of vampire brooding.

Watch The Vampire Diaries with a Netflix subscription.

4. Homestuck

Andrew Hussie

I'm not going to lie to you, this entire post may or may not have been a vehicle for me to tell people to read the web comic Homestuck. What started as a fun spoof on text-based video games soon spiraled into a vast multimedia masterpiece. The cultural mammoth has more than 8,000 pages and more than 800,000 words. Some pages are just an image, some are mini video games, and others are long, artfully made flash videos with custom music made by fans. Since I started reading the comic in college, I struggled to recommend it to people — who has the time to read that many pages of a super weird, dense web comic? But now, most of us have some time to kill and I have been waiting for this moment to scream at you about a weird alien space opera. If you have the patience to jump into a story about some kids who accidentally destroy the world with a video game and then try to remake it with some alien pals, I highly recommend.

You can read Homestuck here for free.

5. Austin City Limits

PBS

Miss going to shows? Might as well dive into the extensive archives of Austin City Limits, the longest-running music series in American television history. You can watch performances by everyone from B.B. King to Mitski. There are 45 seasons, but currently you can only watch certain episodes from seasons 8, 37, 40, 43, 44, and 45.

Watch on PBS.org for free.

6. Bon Appétit YouTube videos

youtu.be

Bon Appétit’s YouTube channel has been a great source of joy and peace for many food fans. It has an ultra-dedicated fanbase and more than 5 million subscribers. People gravitate to the authenticity of just watching nice chefs talk about nice food. Shows like It's Alive with Brad Leone, Test Kitchen, and Gourmet Makes are just so delightful and soothing, it'll be hard not to fall down a video hole. Soon enough, you too can be yelling about fermented hot sauce and natural wine. There are more than1,000 videos on their page, so get watching and then check out this Instagram for all your meme needs.

Watch on YouTube.

7. Terry Pratchett's Discworld

HarperCollins Publishers

If you're feeling unproductive, try not to think about the late Terry Pratchett, who managed to put out 41 Discworld books from 1983 until 2015. The series focuses on a fantasy world that's a flat planet on the back of fours elephants on top of a turtle. The books are engaging, wonderful, and best of all — very, very funny. Most fans say you should start at the beginning, but the books all work as standalone works, so you can jump around or pick one that best appeals to you. The first book is The Color of Magic, but I'm currently reading Guards! Guards!, which is a strong recommendation for dragon lovers.

Read the Color of Magic on Kindle for $4.99, or buy it from Barnes & Noble for $8.99 or from a local bookseller through Bookshop for $9.19.

8. Six Feet Under

HBO

Along with The Sopranos, Six Feet Under helped put HBO on the map. The smart funeral drama follows a family who have to take over the funeral business after their father passes away. Each episode begins with a death and then the rest of the plot follows the family as they prep for that person's funeral. It's a great exploration of loss, grief, and moving on. This show has five seasons, and afterwards, you'll spend a good amount of time contemplating life and death.

Watch Six Feet Under with an Amazon Prime account.

9. The Joy of Painting

youtube.com

Put this on and feel calm. Watch Bob Ross paint happy little clouds, interact with his squirrel, Peapod, and create peaceful landscapes. Let this show wash over you like the most gentle wave on a warm beach.

Watch seasons 10–31 with an Amazon Prime account.

10. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Oni Press

I can't think of any better way to pass some serious time than by putting on some sweatpants and reading six installments of Bryan Lee O'Malley's absurd epic comic about a slacker goofball who has to defeat his dream girl's seven evil exes in order to date her. The plot is ridiculous, the jokes are silly, the characters are lovable. Best of all, you can watch the movie version with Michael Cera afterward.

Get the color collection set from Target for $78.99.

11. Lost

ABC

Remember Lost? Remember how everyone was completely obsessed with it? All those twists??? Maybe it's time to revisit that twisty, kinda-ridiculous show. Or if you're like me, watch it for the first time. With six seasons, the show can be a promising candidate for your "put on in the background" show, especially if you've seen it before.

Watch with a Hulu subscription.

12. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

Target

You watched Game of Thrones, so why not start on the books? While the HBO show stays pretty faithful to the literature in the beginning, things veer off course when certain characters are combined or completely omitted. Books have the luxury of being a lot more dense and detail-heavy, so you get a toooon more lore than you would with the TV series. There are so many little side stories and minor characters (don't even get me started on Wenda the White Fawn or Patchface) in the books that really enrich the reading experience. While the show is over, the books are still technically in the works, so you can join the rest of us while we speculate and agonize over tiny clues and details in the text. There are five hefty books in all, so that should take you a minute to get through. And then the best part? After you finish, you get to read up on tinfoil fan theories.

Get the box set from Target for $30.99 or from a local bookseller through Bookshop for $81.

13. 30 Rock

NBC

What could be more comforting than checking in on Liz Lemon and watching her work on her night cheese? This much-loved sitcom will always feel like a comforting slanket to me. For those who missed this truly perfect show, it's about Tina Fey's character as she tries to "have it all" while working as a writer for The Girly Show, a variety show that's basically a less successful version of SNL. This smart and snappy show is so jam-packed with quips, one blogger actually calculated that there are roughly 9.57 jokes each minute. If you need a good laugh and want to watch some truly wacky characters, this is your best bet. There are seven seasons, and each one is perfect.

Watch with a Hulu subscription.

14. Sufjan Stevens' Discography

open.spotify.com

There has never been a better time to throw on some Sadjan and let the morose tunes wash over you while you gaze longingly out the window. With nine studio albums, two massive Christmas albums, a handful of soundtracks, and plenty of compilation albums all available online, you'll have hours of listening to do.

Listen with a Spotify account.

15. The John Mulaney Netflix Trilogy

Netflix

OK, fine, this will only take like three or four hours, but still. I simply insist every human being be well acquainted with this charming comedian's work. He currently has three Netflix stand-up specials: New In Town, The Comeback Kid, and Kid Gorgeous at Radio City. After you tackle those, there's also his surreal kid's variety show, The Sack Lunch Bunch. It's basically like a tamer Wonder Showzen, but just as funny. Then, there's Big Mouth, an adult cartoon that explores the horrors of puberty where he voices one of the main characters, Andrew. And THEN there's the play Oh, Hello that he performed with Nick Kroll. Anyway, if you haven't gotten super invested in John Mulaney, do it now!!!

Watch all of John Mulaney's stand-up specials with a Netflix subscription.

16. Chopped, plus spin-offs

Food Network

Did you know there are 45 seasons of Chopped? The cooking reality show has been putting chefs through the ringer since 2009. Each episode features four chefs who face off to win $10,000. On top of the hours of fun you can have watching the original show, there are also tons of spin-offs like Chopped Junior and Chopped Sweets. Even if you're no cuisinier, it's always fun to yell along with the judges.

Watch with a Hulu subscription (only seasons 14–36, sadly).

17. Every version of A Star Is Born

Warner Bros. Pictures

Sure, you've seen the 2018 version of A Star Is Born with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, but have you seen the original 1937 version? Or the one with Barbra Streisand? There are four of them in all, so might as well watch them all back to back, and decide which one is best. You might be surprised!

Watch the 2018 version with an HBO subscription, the 1937 from Amazon Prime Video for $0.99, the 1976 version from Amazon Prime Video for $2.99, and the 1976 version from Amazon Prime Video for $2.99.

18. Unsolved Mysteries

NBC

Name a better show to find while scrolling through cable television and leave on for an unexpected marathon. Truly the best show to just let happen to you. The docuseries uses cheesy reenactments and voiceovers to walk you through creepy and bloody mysteries. You can feel like an armchair detective as you gravely nod and say "the husband did it." There are 14 seasons in all, but only a select chunk are available online.

Watch with an Amazon Prime (12 available seasons) or Hulu subscription (7 seasons available).

19. Dragon Quest Builders 2

Rebecca O'Connell / Square Enix

Oh my god. This video game has taken sooooo many hours of my life and still, I have more to give. It's basically an RPG meets Minecraft. You play as a heroic builder and travel to various islands with your very cool pal, Malroth, to help out villagers against the evil Children of Hargon. The main storyline is great (albeit hand-holdy and over-loaded with dialogue) but the real fun starts after you beat the game. You get your own island to build and design as you see fit. You can make secret speakeasies tucked behind waterfalls, tiny homes perched on mountains, grand castles, aquariums with all the fish you caught, scenic railways — you name it. The best part is filling it with your own villagers and watching them interact with the structures you create. Personally, my favorite creation was a haunted house with a secret passageway behind a bookshelf. I like to show it off with the same glee and excitement of a child who made some macaroni art for their parents. If you wanna feel like a kid again but also an amazing architect, play this game!

Download Dragon Quest Builders 2 from Steam, or buy the version for Nintendo Switch or PS4 from Best Buy for $59.99.

20. My Brother, My Brother and Me

youtube.com

This is just a podcast featuring three brothers making jokes together! It's mostly just riffing, but there is some loose structure. Readers send in questions, and the brothers give their terrible advice. They will also help out question askers on Yahoo Answers, make fun of various food-related events, and sometimes bring on a guest. If you haven't gotten into the McElroy family yet, I truly feel sorry for you! These three brothers, plus their dad and wives, have been putting out all sorts of amazing entertainment. There's The Adventure Zone (a podcast where the brothers and their dad play Dungeons and Dragons), Wonderful (a podcast where Rachel and Griffin McElroy talk about happy things that they love), and My Brother, My Brother And Me the short-lived TV show (a podcast you can watch with your eyes), Monster Factory (a Polygon YouTube series where Griffin and Justin McElroy make horrible creatures in video games), and more.

Check out all the different stuff this good, good family has made.

21. Anything Quincy Jones produced

embed.spotify.com

We can all agree that pretty much anything Quincy Jones has ever touched is incredible. But have you ever gone through his discography? Or listened to everything he produced? This Spotify playlist offers more than16 hours of musical bliss.

Listen with a Spotify account.

22. My Time at Portia

Nintendo

First of all, if you haven't played Stardew Valley, stop reading this and go download that. It's the best game in the world and will completely consume your life. If you have already played it, and are hungry for more farming/sandbox type games, My Time at Portia will scratch that itch. Like Stardew Valley, you'll explore a colorful world filled with interesting townsfolk to befriend, fish to catch, materials to scavenge, and monsters to fight. The only difference is that this game is 3D and you play as a builder instead of a farmer (but there is a little bit of farming too). The game is plagued with glitches and the character backstories are a bit thin, but I really don't think it hinders the gaming experience. You'll still have a ball exploring ruins, building structures for the town, and courting a townsfolk or two.

Download it from Steam or Nintendo for $29.99.

23. King of the Hill

Fox

Yup. This Mike Judge cartoon stands the test of time. The characters are just as lovable, the jokes are just as funny, and there's barely any cringey "oh no" moments that happen in a lot of older sitcoms. If anything, the show was ahead of its time as a masterful deconstruction of masculinity. There are 13 seasons, and all of them are perfect (I refuse to hear any nonsense that the show went downhill after Tom Petty came aboard as the character Lucky).

Watch with a subscription to Hulu.

24. The Report Of The Week

youtube.com

We may not be going outside, but that doesn't mean we can't satisfy our love of fast food by watching a self-serious young man in a suit rate junk food with a straight face. John Jurasek, lovingly known as Reviewbrah by his fans, has been diligently going to fast food establishments and rating their new food selections for years. From pickle-flavored slushies to Dunkin Donuts Fries, ReviewBrah has been trying it all and giving detailed, deadpan reviews on YouTube. Recently, he has even reviewed Mucinex NightShift. There are more than1,000 videos on his channel, so good luck getting through all of them.

Watch on YouTube.

25. The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Marvel Studios

Leading up to the release of Avengers: Endgame, Alamo Drafthouse’s Brooklyn location threw a Marvel marathon, where fans could watch all 22 movies back to back. By all accounts, it was a miserable experience, and now you can re-create that horror right at home! JK, it would probably be a lot more enjoyable at your place with plenty of breaks to do non-superhero activities. With more than 45 hours worth of content, it's sure to keep you busy.

Watch them all with a Disney+ subscription.

26. Boris Discography

open.spotify.com

This Tokyo-based experimental rock band has been pumping out great music since the early '90s. They boast an impressive catalog of 25 studio albums and 14 EPs. Better still, each album has a unique feel and sound, so you'll never get bored.

Listen to Boris with a Spotify account.

27. The Wire

HBO

This is that one show that everyone keeps telling you to watch and you're like "yeah, yeah, yeah, of course." But you never actually get to it. Well, now you can finally do it! I believe in you. The HBO crime drama focuses on a different institution each season and how it interacts with law enforcement. It has been celebrated for its realistic look at politics in urban life. There are five seasons and 60 episodes in all, and it's one of a ton of shows and movies that HBO has made available to stream for free.

Watch The Wire on HBO Now for free.

28. The Simpsons

Fox

31! Seasons! As the longest running cartoon of all time, it's a pretty obvious choice for your marathoning needs. Sure, some people say the show drops off after season 10, but I think the show remains fairly watchable until about season 17. Regardless, I could just watch "You Only Move Twice" a million times in a row, so the show is a great time filler no matter what. And after you finish, you can treat yourself to the Simpsons Movie, a classic.

Watch The Simpsons with a Disney+ subscription.

29. The Sims 4

EA

I think we can all agree that The Sims 4 has always been the ultimate time suck. You spend hours designing your family, applying cheat codes (shout out to "motherlode"), renovating the house — and then spend maybe five minutes actually playing the game. At least that's how I used to play! The latest installment of the simulation video game is actually pretty engaging. With expansion packs like Get Famous, Get to Work, and Vampires, you can spend a lot of time helping your Sim make it big, whether that's as a celebrity, a successful doctor, or a highly esteemed creature of the night. As I write this, The Sims 4 is on sale, so you can spend that saved money on fun expansion packs. There are eight expansion packs to choose from, so you're sure to have endless fun with your new virtual families.

Download it from EA for $4.99 (originally $39.99).

30. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies

New Line Cinema

Remember how The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won an Oscar for Best Picture in 2004? If you never gotten into the epic fantasy series filled with orcs, elves, wizards and — of course — hobbits, maybe now is the time to have a movie marathon. You can even start with The Hobbit trilogy to make this marathon a sextuple feature. Ooor you could pick up the classic novels if you're more in a sustained silent reading type of mood. Either way, there are hours of entertainment waiting for you.

Rent The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring for $3.99 or The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey for $3.99 from Amazon.

31. Adventure Time

Cartoon Network

When Adventure Time first came around, the cartoon was cute, silly, and full of absurd non sequiturs. Slowly, the writers gave the characters complex backstories and filled in details about the history of the Land of Ooo. The show pretty much took every detail and one-off joke and gave it an origin story. Fin's animal hat? Explained. A horse named James Baxter who rides around on a beach ball? Got his own episode. The source of Marceline the Vampire Queen's powers? Got an eight-episode, Kill Bill-inspired story arc. Fans who love world-building and lore will get a kick out of how deep Adventure Time's history well goes. After 10 seasons, I dare say its lore is on par with Game of Thrones.

This is a great show to marathon because the story unfolds layer by satisfying, heart-wrenching layer. Here's a secret: I never watched the last episode. I feel like if I don't, the show will keep airing and producing magical episodes forever.

Watch with a Hulu subscription.

That should keep you busy for a while.

Cartoon Network