One of the biggest draws of NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock is its library of TV series – from classic beloved sitcoms to nail-biting dramas.
If you’re wondering what to watch, here’s our picks of some of the best that you can find on Peacock right now. We’ve curated lists for other streaming platforms too, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus and HBO Max. Note that the shows we have picked are available on a mix of the free and premium tiers of Peacock.
You can sign up for an account for free over on the Peacock website. If you want a premium account – with access to more shows, movies, originals and next-day NBC catch-up – then this will cost you $4.99 per month for ad-supported content, or $9.99 per month for ad-free. Peacock is currently exclusive to the US, but there is a way to watch it from the UK.
This is also the only place in the US where you can stream all nine seasons of The Office.
Parks and Recreation
Besides obviously dealing with political satire in the setting of a local government, Parks and Rec puts a very optimistic spin on the subject as a whole, and makes you root for each character to succeed. Plus, it’s great to see Chris Pratt in his role as Andy Dwyer prior to his induction into the cult of Marvel.
Brave New World
The majority of big Peacock Originals are still in development, but Brave New World the first to kick off, coinciding with the launch of the platform. Based on the novel of the same name, this show is set in a far-distant future in which people’s lives are manufactured completely by the government to make a utopia, but not is all as it seems.
Saturday Night Live
Arguably the most popular live sketch comedy show of all-time, SNL features a celebrity host each week, who then star in a number of comedy shorts alongside a cast of regular comedians. Peacock features some of the most recent seasons in full – as well as highlights from older ones. We particularly recommend any episode with Adam Driver. Seriously.
Cheers
Before Friends, there was Cheers. This eighties/nineties comedy classic starring the likes of Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman and Kelsey Grammer is set in a bar (sharing the title name) in Boston, where ‘everybody knows your name’. With 11 seasons to watch, this is one to pick up and watch casually when you’re in a light-hearted mood.
House
House is a medical drama quite unlike any other. The show follows protagonist Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), a maverick doctor who specialises in curing the rarest and most complicated illnesses and cases in the US. However, at the same time he’s also struggling with a crippled leg and a pain-killer addiction.
Escape to the Chateau
If you’re in the mood for something a little more grounded in reality, then this British DIY show is a classic. Couple Dick Strawbridge and Angela Adoree purchase a 19th century French chateau which has seen better days, and over a number of years invest their hard work and money into restoring this building into the fairy tale castle that it once was.
Heroes
Heroes came before the comic book superhero genre exploded on TV and film with the likes of Marvel Studios. Set across five volumes (or four seasons – if you prefer), Heroes follows the story of various people across the globe who struggle to balance their everyday lives with superpowers.
30 Rock
Watch the golden age of Tina Fey unfold with 30 Rock – the series which follows the behind-the-scenes action of a live variety show. Based off of Fey’s own experience as a writer for SNL, we get to experience the complex structure of the entertainment business, and the colourful characters that are within it.
The Affair
Originally aired on Showtime, The Affair stars Ruth Wilson and Dominic West and is an in-depth look into the emotional repercussions of extramarital relationships. The series follows a consistent format of splitting episodes into different characters’s points of view, so the audience can understand relationships from alternative perspectives.
Yellowstone
Yellowstone proves that Westerns aren’t just a thing of the past. The Dutton family (led by John Dutton) have to constantly defend their large ranch from attacks by land developers, an Indian reservation and the United States’s first national park. It’s full of drama, violence and a whole lot of bizarre twists that’ll keep you hooked.
Author: Hannah Cowton, Senior Staff Writer
Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She's also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.