Looking to camp out on the couch and take down a show that will keep you up way too late and help you procrastinate from doing more important tasks? Here are five shows to stream.
13 REASONS WHY
Premise: Teens struggle for acceptance at a school plagued by bullying, sexual harassment and murder. The first two seasons took hard looks at cyberbullying and suicide.
Stars: Dylan Minnette, Justin Prentice, Christian Navarro, Brandon Flynn, Alisha Boe, Katherine Langford.
Service: Netflix.
Why it's impossible to stop watching: The writing and performances bubble with a raw, relatable intensity that's rare in teen TV and film. The first season started a national conversation about teen suicide, and two more seasons have capitalized on the momentum to explore other tough issues. The most recent season released in late August.
HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE OAKLAND RAIDERS
Premise: HBO's crews embed themselves deep inside the bowels of tumultous NFL training camps, providing a peek at the personal lives of superstars and players struggling to make the cut.
Stars: Oakland Raiders players and coaches.
Service: HBO.
Why it's impossible to stop watching: Short and sweet, the captivating docuseries are a PR rep's nightmare, exposing the ugly, silly and just plain weird underpinnings of the NFL lifestyle. This time around, crews captured candid moments with mercurial receiver Antonio Brown and intense coach Jon Gruden. Always a water cooler talker among NFL fans, "Hard Knocks" wraps up its season Sept. 3.
FAMILY GUY
Premise: An animated sit-com in the tradition of "The Flintstones" and "The Simpsons," the satirical, gleefully inappropriate series always looks to rattle cages and stretch the sense of what animators can get away with on network TV to the maximum.
Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Mila Kunis, Seth Green, Patrick Warburton.
Service: Hulu
Why it's impossible to stop watching: Although too edgy for some tastes, the show's willingness to disregard political correctness and go to any length to grab a laugh pays off more than it backfires. "Family Guy" is a love-it or hate-it experience that has to be seen to be believed. Season 18 debuts Sept. 29.
TOM CLANCY'S JACK RYAN
Premise: Tom Clancy's iconic character has saved the world numerous times in films such as "The Hunt for Red October," "Clear and Present Danger" and "The Sum of All Fears." The series is a look at a young Ryan, moving up the ranks of a beginning CIA analyst to a world power player in espionage.
Stars: John Krasinski, Abbie Cornish, Wendell Pierce, Dina Shihabi.
Service: Amazon Prime Video.
Why it's impossible to stop watching: Best known as Jim from "The Office," Krasinski ably transitions from goofball to dead-serious superspy. The series takes a more grounded and rational approach than the audacious movies, making for a more relatable and genuine version of the character than audiences are accustomed to. There are still plenty of thrills, though. Those who enjoy "Homeland" will find much to like here.
THE DEUCE
Premise: A raw, gritty look at the 1970s New York City sex worker scene, the drama drops you into the lives of prostitutes, pimps, club owners and dirty cops who maneuver for glamor and power.
Stars: Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Franco, Margarita Levieva, Emily Meade, Gary Carr.
Service: HBO.
Why it's impossible to stop watching: HBO made its bones for taking on hard-edged drama that wouldn't be allowed on basic cable, and this show proudly struts in that tradition. With plenty of raunchiness and violence to go around, "The Deuce" is an overpowering spectacle, supported by top-notch actors. Season 3 debuts Sept. 9.
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