Gone are the days of limited channels and appointment TV. We are in the era of streaming services, and I, like many of you, subscribe to a few. At some point though, I reached subscription service capacity. With more networks and services making content exclusively for streaming, I sometimes find myself in the frustrating position of not being able to watch a show I’m interested in.

I was recently wallowing in self-pity over the fact that I couldn’t watch “Poker Face,” the dark crime comedy created by Rian Johnson and starring Natasha Lyonne, without shelling out another $5.99 a month. Then it hit me — Of course! I have a library card.

Though you do need a little patience and only some of what is streaming will be made available on DVD (cough*AppleTV*cough), you can find some excellent streaming shows in the media section of your library. Aside from the aforementioned “Poker Face,” here are a few recommendations:

Star Trek: Picard
I grew up watching “Star Trek: The Next Generation” with my family and Patrick Stewart is just lovely. I’d listen to him recite the dictionary.

Good Omens
Speaking of actors I like watching, David Tenant and Michael Sheen are a lot of fun in this adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s satire.

The Expanse
If you like gritty SciFi with a lot of political machinations, This. Is. The. Show.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines
My whole family enjoyed watching this animated movie together, and by that I mean myself, my husband, my 9-year-old old, and my 13-year-old all laughed out loud.

The Sandman
Based on a popular Neil Gaiman comic, this show is about the interactions of the Endless with a focus on the central character, the personification of dreams. There is a bit of a central story arc, but it is more of an odd assortment of chapters. I’m probably not selling it very well. I’ll just say that the episode that introduces Death was extremely powerful and cathartic. 

The Great
This is also such a strange one. It is a giddy and profane fictionalization (no matter what the intro cards tell you) of Catherine the Great’s rise to power.

If none of the recommendations are up your alley, here are a few other options to choose from:

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Kanopy. This is a movie/TV show streaming service you can access for free with your library card. If you like BBC productions, this is a great place to find them. I was happy to discover that I could watch “Death Comes to Pemberley,” an adaptation of the P.D. James novel that features my favorite fictional couple, Elizabeth and Darcy, and a murder mystery.

Happy bingeing!

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