(Welcome to Small-Screen Stream, a feature where we share the best television shows streaming and where you can watch them.)
In honor of Hustlers and it’s incredible opening weekend, I thought this week could be all about sex positivity in television. Though we’re starting to see more and more shows trudge their way into this century, it’s still rare that we see solid sex positive characters, and even rarer that they’re done well. You probably shouldn’t stream some of these at work, but definitely check them out if you’re tired of the general prudishness of media.
Wynonna Earp
Netflix
I’m always here for a female character who’s depicted as brashly as the roguish male characters so many find themselves swooning over. Wynonna Earp does just that. While you can guess a lot about the show just by reading its protagonists name, there are plenty of surprises wrapped up in this supernatural western. It also might ring a few bells if you’ve read the comic by the same name! Added bonus: an ageless Doc Holliday played by the swoon-worthy Tim Rozon.
The Bold Type
Hulu
Do you dream about writing for a world-renowned women’s magazine? How about living-it-up in New York City? The Bold Type is really only wish-fulfillment in the first respect, but there are plenty of Big Apple hijinks to keep you laughing. While the show lives over at Freeform, it’s incredibly sex positive. The three leads, Jane, Kat, and Sutton, each bring their own (sorry) bold personalities to the table as they navigate their industry, their identities, and their sex lives.
Jane the Virgin
Netflix
Jane the Virgin is such a curious anomaly of a show. Obviously, you wouldn’t expect it to be on a list such as this based on title alone, but the show has always brought something really special to the table. In fact, it’s brought a whole lot of special over its tenure. Near the top of that list is a surprisingly sex positive message as it follows title character Jane on her journey through life.
Grace and Frankie
Netflix
Sometimes you get to live your life and enjoy retirement. Other times your husband comes out as gay and tells you that he’s leaving you for the husband of a lady you don’t quite enjoy. That, my friends, is basically the premise of the Netflix original Grace and Frankie. One’s a retired cosmetics mogul, the other one’s a zaney art teacher. They find their very different lives inexplicably smooshed together while also having to navigate being sexual beings who aren’t in their twenties anymore. It’s witty, it’s charming, and it’s damn refreshing to see a story that involves sex from time-to-time involving women who stopped giving a single damn about something as silly as crows feet long ago.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Netflix
Bless this beautifully weird little show. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is just chocked full of relatable content. Even better, not all of that relatable content is always flattering. The show’s main character, Rebecca, suffers from both depression and anxiety. Her afflictions can sometimes lead to hallucinations, during which we see hilarious (and often strangely poignant) musical numbers that fit into whatever uncomfortable situation that she’s found herself in at the time.
Broad City
Hulu
If you wanted another lady-led show that strongly revolves around hijinks occurring in New York City, Broad City is for you. One’s an illustrator, the other will do anything she can not to work, and they’re both extremely funny in their own dysfunctional ways. Like most of the other entries on this list, sex isn’t the main focus, but an important theme that comes up throughout the series. This one’s a little more sitcom-y than the other entries, so if you’re looking for something quicker and more digestible to get started with, these are your girls!
The L Word
Netflix
The L Word is definitely an entry on this list that I wouldn’t stream while you work. But that’s ok, because it deserves your full attention. It’s older than most of the other entries, and also more sexually explicit. The show follows a large group of friends, many of which are lesbians, who are all trying to navigate different stages of their lives. It leans harder in the drama direction than most of the others, but it certainly has its laughs and damn near every moment is heartfelt. The show will also be getting a revival in the coming year.
Easy
Netflix
Modern love is a nightmare. There’s so much to navigate, and everyone’s basically at work all the time, so we all just live in one, long, Tinder nightmare. Not dating? Doesn’t mean you’re safe. And that’s basically the long and short of Netflix’s Easy. The show’s anthological, with no real need to watch in order. You’ll see recurring characters, but each episode acts as a one-shot with only a couple exceptions. Each episode explores love, romance, and sex in our fun and often insane modern world. If you want a dose of sex positivity but don’t want to necessarily commit to a binge, Easy’s the best entry on this list for you!
Sex Education
Netflix
Sex Education took the world by storm back in January. This hilarious and incredibly sex-positive comedy focuses on Otis Milburn and his friend Maeve Wiley after they set up a business to provide sex advice to their peers. She’s a bad girl, he’s the awkward boy, and all of their classmates have a lot of questions. And, well, frustrations, if you get my meaning. Bonus? Otis mother, Dr. Jean F. Milburn, is played by the incomparable Gillian Anderson.
The post Small-Screen Stream: The Best Shows to Watch After Enjoying ‘Hustlers’ appeared first on /Film.