Watch these 8 recent politics-free TV shows and specials on election day (and beyond)

A social media account run by Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign memed itself. Celebrities signed their political endorsements with “childless cat lady.” Former President Trump, again the Republican presidential nominee, served fries at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s.

Dubbed the “election of a generation,” the 2024 presidential race and its result may very well be adapted for the screen — it feels stranger than fiction, like a TV plot come to life. As such, The Times will be providing updates on Tuesday’s election throughout the day and beyond, including on local, state and national races.

Television

Restoration videos provide a soothing distraction in a time of great uncertainty

Our TV critic went down the rabbit hole of restoration videos, which show a variety of items being expertly restored, and have the added bonus of being calming and relaxing viewing.

Nov. 5, 2024

However, if you would rather be distracted as you wait for races to be called, we’ve compiled a list of TV shows to stream that we believe will keep you entertained for some time because, if the 2020 election is an indicator, it could take hours, if not several days, to know the outcome. This list is heavy on comedies and breezy, bingeable series and specials that either premiered in the last few months or have recently released a new season — it’s the perfect time to catch up. They are sure to ease your mail-ballot panic or at least give you a break from doomscrolling, page refreshes and channel flipping.

Husband and wife duo Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall star in Paramount+’s “Colin From Accounts.”

(Lisa Tomasetti / Paramount+)

Let’s be really real: We’re going to be in a comatose state for several days. That’s why watching swearing Aussies fall in love while they care for a scruffy pup with wheel-aided hind legs is the soothing balm our brains need right now. “Colin From Accounts” follows Ashley and Gordon — played by the show’s married creators and executive producers, Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall — who become inextricably intertwined with a meet-cute that made this Nora Ephron-obsessive chuckle: a nipple flash while crossing the street. The spoilers will stop there because the quirky details and fun turns that unfold from there are part of its charm. The series launched its eight-episode second season in September, building on its deft exploration of the fun and dysfunction of a new relationship while being unafraid to be experimental — “Waterfall” and “Yass King” are standout episodes. (Along with the first season, there are 16 episodes total to keep you occupied.) You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll demand that more episodes get made immediately. — Yvonne Villarreal

Watching Conan O’Brien learn to tango is just one of the many reasons to binge his Max travel show.

(Conaco / Max)

Escaping to an exotic locale might feel like a good idea on a day like today, but if you’re stuck at home (or in the U.S. more generally), a travel show is an economical alternative. Conan O’Brien’s series, which premiered in April, gives viewers beautiful scenery and lessons about different countries with the added bonus of making you laugh uncontrollably as he visits international fans who have been featured on his podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.” In the four-episode season, he travels to Norway, Argentina, Thailand and Ireland, where in addition to seeing fans, he meets locals, learns customs and participates in a variety of activities, including knitting, tango and Muay Thai. He even performs a small role in the long-running Irish soap opera “Ros na Rún.” The Argentina episode is a personal favorite because he’s joined by Jordan Schlansky, his longtime producer (who also produces this series) and comedic foil. The episodes run 40 to 45 minutes each, so if you get through them quickly, I’d highly recommend following them up with O’Brien’s appearance on “Hot Ones.” It’s easily one of the funniest interviews on the web this year. — Maira Garcia

The bakers of Season 12 of Netflix’s “Great British Baking Show.”

(Mark Bourdillon)

I am not going to win any points for originality by recommending this as a comfort watch. For most of its decade-plus run, the reality competition baking show has been a television balm for anxious viewers. With its pastel hues, string soundtrack and never-ending stream of slightly naughty puns, “Great British Baking Show” is so pleasant to watch that it’s easy to forget that baking can be an incredibly stressful pastime, as anyone who has ever attempted to make a homemade funfetti cake shaped like Bluey can tell you. But even by its own high standards, the latest season, which premiered on Netflix in September and is nearing its home stretch, has been exceptional. It’s not easy to keep a long-running reality show going strong, but it seems that its producers have actually listened to feedback. After a few still-entertaining but slightly off seasons, host Matt Lucas was replaced by Alison Hammond, whose cheerful ebullience has buoyed the vibes in the tent. They’ve also dispensed with the gimmicky challenges (e.g. making pitas over an open fire), insensitive themes (Mexican Week) and returned to basics — or what counts as basic on a show where people build towers out of choux pastry. Most of all, the cast this season is superb, with an incredible level of talent, memorable personalities and delightful accents. I am particularly fond of Nelly, originally from Slovakia, who created a showstopper inspired by her pregnancy losses (excuse me as a I grab a tissue) and Dylan, a Jason Momoa lookalike with a flair for unusual flavors. “Great British Baking Show” isn’t a democracy — Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood are the only people who get to vote — but it’s a true meritocracy. If only the world were more like that tent. — Meredith Blake

Jenny Slate in her Prime Video special “Seasoned Professional.”

(Prime Video)

From my first viewing of “Obvious Child” (2014), I knew Jenny Slate was the exception to all my usual comedy turn-offs: toilet humor, physical comedy, supplying your own laughter. Somehow, Slate’s relentless charm made it all not only permissible but also delightful. That same charm is on full display in her special “Seasoned Professional,” released in February, which seamlessly ties tender musings on motherhood to cautionary tales from the lactose intolerant. Recounting one particularly vulnerable moment in a diner bathroom — post-milkshakes, no Lactaid in sight — Slate wistfully describes “that feeling, like, when you can tell you’re about to pass away.” The pregnant pause that follows effortlessly beckons laughter. Later, she refreshes familiar material from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, narrating how in a fit of panic over her food supply, she “picked 40 lemons off of a lemon tree.” Slate’s flailing limbs are the star performers. Throughout the hour-long spectacle, Slate — clad in tuxedo shorts and a bow tie — once again proves that no one does quirky like her. You’ll find few better companions providing such amusement in exchange for so little of your attention — perfect for a day when it’s helplessly divided. — Malia Mendez

Entertainment & Arts

Pregnancy through the eyes of Jenny Slate, shocking bodily revelations and all

‘It Ends With Us’ and ‘Marcel the Shell With Shoes On’ actor Jenny Slate chats with The Times about her book ‘Lifeform,’ motherhood and why she’s one Hollywood actor who does not want to direct.

Oct. 22, 2024

Sindhu Vee, left, Naveen Andrews, Ashwin Sakthivel, Arjun Sriram and Sahana Srinivasan are “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh.”

(Ian Watson)

In Hollywood shorthand, “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh” could be described as “Fresh Off the Boat” meets “Never Have I Ever,” which is to say that the Prime Video series revolves around an immigrant family from India that is navigating life in America — more precisely, western Pennsylvania — with a buoyant spirit and some not quite ready for prime-time storylines. The appealing cast is led by “Lost” and “The Dropout” star Naveen Andrews as Mahesh, an upbeat engineer with a SpaceX contract who is married to a more severe surgeon wife, Sudha (Sindhu Vee), who is unable to practice in America; their three kids include randy teenage daughter Bhanu (Sahana Srinivasan) and cheery young Vinod (Ashwin Sakthivel), who quickly befriends the local garbageman. The family navigates racism and growing pains without getting too heavy handed about it; farcical “interrogations” by immigration authorities including Pete Holmes provide additional comic relief. Episodes are fast moving — and exceedingly bingeable. — Diane Garrett

Review

‘The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’ is a splendid new comedy centered on an immigrant family

“The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh,” premiering Thursday on Prime Video, is a funny and oddball new series from Vijal Patel about a South Asian family that moves to the Pennsylvania city.

Oct. 17, 2024

“Ranma 1/2,” an animated action teen rom-com on Netflix.

(Netflix)

Adapted from the manga classic by Rumiko Takahashi, “Ranma 1/2” is an action teen rom-com — emphasis on the action and comedy — that follows Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo, a pair of martial artists who meet after learning that their fathers have arranged for them to be married. Neither is keen on it, and they get off on the wrong foot. The setup and relationship dynamics are familiar, but what sets this story apart is that Ranma is a boy whose body turns into a girl’s when doused with cold water because of a mishap during a training trip with his father (hot water turns him back). Also complicating their budding romance is Ranma‘s and Akane’s growing rosters of suitors, including those who similarly change forms with water (many transform into various animals). Part of the comfort for me is that “Ranma” is a formative manga series from my childhood. (I also watched the original TV adaptation — now on Hulu and Peacock — in fits and starts back when watching anime was not as easy as subscribing to a streaming service.) But the new take on this 1980s-set series is a perfect distraction for anyone looking for an outrageous, funny and occasionally heartwarming story with a side of cartoon violence. — Tracy Brown

Seth Meyers discusses the ups and downs of raising children in New York in his HBO comedy special “Dad Man Walking.”

(Lloyd Bishop / HBO)

It wasn’t until I became a parent while living in New York that I became fully awakened to the upsides and downsides of raising a child in a major city. In his new HBO comedy special, now streaming on Max, Seth Meyers captures a lot of the feeling of living in the city — cramped quarters and pleas for backyard space — and how parenting can be filled with silly requests (scratching a kid’s back so they fall asleep) and questions (“If you touch lava, do you die?”) that parents have to hear over and over again. As host of “Late Night,” Meyers is known for riffing on political topics, especially in his segment “A Closer Look,” but this special is free of them. And even if you aren’t a parent, you’ll still laugh out loud as you hear the stories he shares. — Maira Garcia

The fifth and final season of Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Lower Decks” kicked off in October, and the first couple episodes are a treat.

(Paramount+)

What better way to escape the uncertainties and political hostilities of the present than a trip to a more idealistic future? The “Star Trek” franchise is a hopeful look at a far future where humanity is not only technologically advanced enough for long-term space faring missions in grand starships but we’ve also moved on to a point where we are united as a planet enough to be a part of an intergalactic alliance that stands for justice, equality, progress and peace. My current favorite is “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” the animated and more irreverent of the “Star Trek” shows that follows the lower-ranking support crew that handle the menial jobs on a less prestigious Federation starship. The core group includes the rebellious but highly competent Beckett Mariner, the over-eager and by-the-books Brad Boimler, the optimistic space pirate-turned-science enthusiast D’Vana Tendi and the happy-go-lucky engineering prodigy Sam Rutherford. The show’s fifth and final season kicked off in October, and if you, like me, are fond of Tendi’s space pirate side, the first couple episodes are especially a treat. — Tracy Brown