"Another three weeks?" grumbled our nation in a very quintessentially British manor on Monday. We are very good at complaining, and this was a highly unsurprising outcome of the lockdown announcement. If anything, we were probably all shocked that Dominic Raab didn't suggest longer - although he did make sure to use the words "at least".
You may be at the point now where Netflix seems completely unbingable, your Disney channel trial has ran out, and even a Joe Rogan podcasts feels too tedious to press play on. If not, carry on as you are, but here are 5 suggestions to help you power through the next three weeks of doom and gloom.
The Evil Genius Podcast
Russell Kane’s panelled podcast, where comedians debate whether a deceased celebrity was evil or a genius, is side splittingly hilarious. Whilst you fulfil your British atrocities, bathing topless in 12 degree heat, stick this on your headphones and prepare yourself for 40 minutes of laughter. From Mother Theresa and Tupac, to Pablo Escobar and Walt Disney - the three series on BBC Sounds will save you from hours of mindlessness. Listen here.
Boileroom live streams
With festival season slowly slipping through our fingers, there is no better alternative than the streaming from isolation sets Boileroom have been providing over the last month. Pitch up a camping chair, role some zoots and tuck into a pot noodle whilst revelling in the YouTube channel’s prestigious roster of DJs. You can make the experience even more authentic by assigning each room of your house to a stage from your favourite festival, and attempt to make it from one to the next whilst necking a horribly warm can of Stella.
Bald and Bankrupt YouTube vids
This suggestion goes out to anyone who should be abroad on their gap year. We feel for you. However, this beautifully bald man may just be the answer to your issues. Amassing over 1.5 million subscribers, Benjamin Rich (better known as Bald and Bankrupt), has spent the last two years travelling around India and several Post-Soviet states - documenting his experiences on YouTube. Watch as Rich attempts to smuggle cats out of Cuba, bumps into shitting ‘Soviet Goblins’ and runs away from crazy Indian Beggars. Yes going to South East Asia with your entourage of mates would have been fun, but you definitely would not have had the same experiences as this man.
This Country
Kerry and Curtain’s potency for mild mischief and bickering came to an end this year, with the final series of This Country airing on BBC. The extremely funny, low-budget depiction of young people living in rural Britain is an easy going comedy that will have you in stitches from the fist episode. At 30 minutes in length, and only 18 episodes to watch, this is a days easy work for any avid isolating binger. As brother and sister, Charlie and Daisy May Cooper’s comedic chemistry is undeniable; their instantly loveable characters will go down in British telecom history.
Orlando Julius - Disco Hi - Life
If ever you find yourself down in these disparaging times, this modern Nigerian disco classic will instantly perk you up. Disco Hi-Life, released in 2009, came 43 years after Julius' first album, and you can still see him touring today. Well, not right now of course. Incorporating afrobeats, funk and elements of blues, this track is impossible to hate as Orlando shreds through a stomping saxophone riff. Have a listen below.