With restrictions still taking over the UK and indeed much of Europe, many of our favourite pastimes are still on hold. From playing sports to meeting at various clubs and even playing the likes of bingo.
Much of that has been shifted online these days, with the likes of Moon Bingo offering plenty of bingo games (click here to find out more), group meetings done over the likes of Zoom and sports being played over the likes of FIFA with friends hanging out virtually all over the world. But online gaming isn’t the only way to reminisce and enjoy your favourite pastimes in some capacity, there are tons of TV shows which cover the topics, and in all manner of shapes and sizes too.
Bingo – Eyes Down
It’s amazing that there aren’t more TV shows honing in on bingo. It’s a treasure trove of great content and bingo callers are always exuberant characters. One show which did tackle the trials and tribulations of a bingo hall was 2000s sitcom Eyes Down, which starred Paul O’Grady as bingo caller Ray Temple.
It was full of observational quirks that make bingo halls great, and if you’re looking to get a taste of the great British institution, then it’s certainly worth looking up.
Monday Night Football
If you’re a lover of sport, and in particular football, then just because you can’t stand on the terraces or play the beautiful game, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. In fact, the Premier League and Football League wheels continue to turn and you can watch every moment live on television or through streaming platforms.
Monday Night Football is arguably the best watch of the week, summing up the weekend’s games with insightful analysis from Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, before a live game to round off the evening. Monday blues? What Monday blues…
Somebody Feed Phil
Travel may be off the cards at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dream. One of the best things about travelling abroad is the food and Somebody Feed Phil is the perfect show to whet the appetite. The Netflix series sees Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal travel to all four corners of the world, trying food, enjoying the sights and generally making you wish you were there.
It’s difficult to not love this show thanks to Phil’s personality and nature and is one of the best feel-good shows on the TV.
The Great Pottery Throw Down
There are many shows which focus on arts and crafts and they’re perfect for those clubs that can’t currently meet up and are making do with weekly Zoom calls. From the Great British Sewing Bee, to Bake Off and our favourite, the Great Pottery Throw Down, which is currently being shown on Channel 4.
It sees amateur potters go up against each other in the same format as Bake Off, with their concoctions then judged by Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller. It’s a kind, guilt-free and friendly programme that really does warm the cockles of any hear.