RECOMMENDATIONS

LUTHER (James, Australia)
Luther is an english crime drama starring Idris Elba. There’s only 20 episodes across 5 seasons but it is thrilling the whole way through!

BROAD CITY (James, Australia)
Recommended to me by a friend, Broad City follows the hilarious adventures of 2 women in New York. 5 seasons X 20 minute episodes. Very easy to binge watch!

BROOKLYN 99 (James, Australia)
Every now and then a new comedy captures my attention. If you loved The Office and Parks and Rec, I HIGHLY recommend this show. Gina Linetti is one of my all time favorite TV characters!

8 OUT OF 10 CATS DOES COUNTDOWN (James, Australia)
For my Australian friends this is on SBS Viceland at 7.30pm every day. I normally call my friend Ross and we watch together. It’s a lighthearted comedy gameshow. A great way to finish each day with a few laughs!

TRAVELS WITH MY FATHER (James, Australia)
Recommeded to me by a friend, my parents also enjoyed this show. English comedian Jack Whitehall goes travelling with his grumpy old posh father. 4 seasons travelling around 4 different parts of the world. Hilarious, and a great way to ‘travel’ from your lounge room.

HAMISH AND ANDY PODCAST (Whitney, Australia)
Two best friends and comedy duo, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee being larrikins on their weekly podcast. A great switch off and laugh podcast.

THE BOOKS AND TRAVEL PODCAST (Peter, Germany)
As a traveler, I’m always curious about other people’s experiences in countries that I’d like to visit. Books, podcasts and youtubers offer a glimpse into new worlds I want to explore. The Books and Travel Podcast is one resource I enjoy. Joanna Penn is an author, traveler and podcaster, who interviews amazing people and their traveling adventures around the world.

DOLLY PARTONS AMERICA (2019) PODCAST. (Whitney, Australia)
A nine-part series based on Dolly Partons career and enduring legacy. Worth a listen as she is not just the blonde buxom singer that you might have her pegged as. From feminism to “Dollitics” to her genuine humility and compassion. Take a listen!

MCFLY (Esther, Australia)
My favourite band (McFly) has just released their latest album after a 10-year hiatus and I’m in love with them all over again! There’s a mix of influences coming through, particularly Bruce Springsteen, 21 Pilots and a bit of Blink 182 (but that’s what happens when you do a song with Mark Hoppus), there’s also some classic Mcfly love songs and power ballads to round out the mix. The album has been on repeat since it came out on Friday. Young Dumb Thrills is definitely my favourite album by Mcfly so far! 

LIFE UNCUT PODCAST (Rhonda, Australia)
It’s like sitting around with your bestie, a glass of wine and girl talk.

SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS (Esther, Australia)
I said in my story how important I find music, I’ve got 3 playlists I’m happy to share, whether people want to listen to them or just steal songs from them that’s cool too! 
The playlists are:
Quarantine Quintessentials (current playlist for my current quarantine): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7LjSoGcPrDoXM2pWisTCMe
Stopping the Lockdown Blues: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4RBOsFqnv7FXYEBGkXJLk6
Get out and Enjoy the Sun! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/27ehAVVZqwIy7rPQ7n4jI3

CYCLING (Monique, Canada)
I need to go outside so consistently that I once forced my husband to go for a walk with me in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada in the middle of winter. It was -30C. Going outside is even essential for me during a pandemic lockdown, so I took up cycling. Not only are you getting exercise and getting outside, but it’s ideal for physical distancing – your bike is probably a perfect measuring stick for how far away other people need to be. And if they ignore your measuring bike, you can ride away from them much faster than they can chase you on foot. 

DESIGN SURVIVOR CHALLENGES (Fintan, Australia)
My latest “hobby” is kinda weird but it’s coming up with Survivor challenges, drawing them, explaining them and chucking them into a document ahaha.

CHEESE AND BACON FRENCH ROLL TOAST
(James, Australia)
Just when you thought Cheese and Bacon Rolls couldn’t get any better, I suggest cutting them in half, dipping them in whisked egg and milk, and then placing them in a fry pan to slowly cook. Add some extra rashers of bacon in there and you have a delicious breakfast treat.

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH – A LIFE ON OUR PLANET (James, Australia)
This Netflix doco is incredible. The nature shots are amazing. The realization we have been and still are destroying the earth – eye opening!

SCRUBS (Sarah, Australia)
I’ve watched Scrubs through a couple of times over the years but listening to Zach and Donald rambling on about each episode a little but mostly laughing about old stories, talking about their families and lives, and also sharing their lockdown lives and chaos has been amusing and comforting – maybe it’s because they are best friends, I feel like they’re so familiar that they’re almost my friends too. I don’t have a lot of free time to watch tv but when I’m cooking dinner I like to rewatch an episode to keep up with all of their anecdotes in the next podcast episode. There’s so much negativity in the world right now and a bit of goofy lighthearted entertainment is exactly what I need.

TENET (James, Australia)
I finally got to go to the movies on the 12th November and I was looking forward to seeing this for months. Yes it’s a Christopher Nolan mindfuck of a movie, one I will need to rewatch a few times to make any sense of it. If you can safely go to a cinema, I highly recommend!

THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES. (Fintan, Australia)
If you’re a fan of the Hunger Games, Collins came out with a new book around Snow as a teenager and the 10th ever Hunger Games.

IN THE CLEARING (Holly, Australia)
In The Clearing is a book set in regional Australia. With lots of twists, turns and ‘oh my gosh what?’ moments, I highly recommend it. It’s a psychological thriller and at the end you suddenly feel the need to read it all over again. There’s a bit of something for everyone, law and order, missing persons, a troubled relationship and a local cult group, I give it a solid 4.5/5!

FARMING SIM GAMES (Monique, Canada)
When the world feels like an out of control train wreck, it’s really nice to be able to exist in a different world, even if it isn’t real. Especially one with cute animals, repetative but theraputic tasks and unrealistic amounts of wealth and free time. This is why you should play farming sim games during a pandemic.

BANANAGRAMS (Whitney, Australia)
Think of scrabble tiles, take away the point system and this is a race against your competitors to use up your tiles first. Has been endless fun. Best for groups of 2-4 i reckon. A fast paced quick game.

CATAN (Whitney, Australia)
Board game for those who love strategy. The focus is on collecting resources (wood, grain, brick, sheep) to building settlements, cities and roads. At 10 victory points you. Best played with 3-4 and with an hour to spare.