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What to Watch When
Answers the eternal question: "what should I watch tonight?"
Discover the perfect TV show for every mood and moment.
What to watch when... you want to get your pulse racing.
When you have three generations on one sofa.
When you want to escape to a different time.
When you want a cozy night in.
When you need a really good laugh.
When you want to learn something new.
When you feel like wallowing.
When you want to be scared witless.
When you just want to switch off.
When you need a feel-good moment.
Featuring 1,000 TV shows arranged to quickly provide suggestions for every TV-watching situation. Keep What to Watch When by your remote control and you'll never be stuck making a decision again!
Discover the perfect TV show for every mood and moment.
What to watch when... you want to get your pulse racing.
When you have three generations on one sofa.
When you want to escape to a different time.
When you want a cozy night in.
When you need a really good laugh.
When you want to learn something new.
When you feel like wallowing.
When you want to be scared witless.
When you just want to switch off.
When you need a feel-good moment.
Featuring 1,000 TV shows arranged to quickly provide suggestions for every TV-watching situation. Keep What to Watch When by your remote control and you'll never be stuck making a decision again!
- GenresNonfictionFilmReference
480 pages, Hardcover
First published October 27, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 8, 2021
What to get the TV Addict in your life... a book? Not just any book but a definitive guide of what to watch. I got this as a birthday gift for my wife who shares my passion for the small screen.
We are lucky enough to be living in a golden age of television which I would argue has superseded Hollywood in most regards these days so it's great to have a guide to help you through the ocean of awesome TV shows that are out there.
The hardback book is well conceived with numerous categories depending upon what you are feeling like watching. Much like a fast food menu you may be wanting a "cosy night in" or you may fancy being scared "witless".
The book features a contents and an index as well to help find the shows you may be after and most shows are generally given a few paragraphs, with the more famous/ground-breaking ones getting a couple of pages - eg Game Of Thrones, Mad Men etc.
Throw in a yellow fabric bookmark and this is an excellent coffee table book, to sit alongside the TV remote.
The only real negative that can't be resolved easily is that the book can't keep up! Published in 2020 with data that runs up to May 2020, it omits such greats as Netflix's Tiger King or Disney+ Wandavision and so forth. It would also have been great if it could tell you what UK service the show is on or was originally broadcast/streamed on. I know the streaming landscape is constantly shifting but it would be helpful to know show "X" can be found on Amazon Prime or BBC iPlayer for example. An impossible request I know!
But... if they digitised this book, kept it updated and linked it to who was showing it in real-time then.... we could go back to reading our even smaller screens to watch something on the small screen!
As it is, this is a great gift/read for the TV addict in your life.
We are lucky enough to be living in a golden age of television which I would argue has superseded Hollywood in most regards these days so it's great to have a guide to help you through the ocean of awesome TV shows that are out there.
The hardback book is well conceived with numerous categories depending upon what you are feeling like watching. Much like a fast food menu you may be wanting a "cosy night in" or you may fancy being scared "witless".
The book features a contents and an index as well to help find the shows you may be after and most shows are generally given a few paragraphs, with the more famous/ground-breaking ones getting a couple of pages - eg Game Of Thrones, Mad Men etc.
Throw in a yellow fabric bookmark and this is an excellent coffee table book, to sit alongside the TV remote.
The only real negative that can't be resolved easily is that the book can't keep up! Published in 2020 with data that runs up to May 2020, it omits such greats as Netflix's Tiger King or Disney+ Wandavision and so forth. It would also have been great if it could tell you what UK service the show is on or was originally broadcast/streamed on. I know the streaming landscape is constantly shifting but it would be helpful to know show "X" can be found on Amazon Prime or BBC iPlayer for example. An impossible request I know!
But... if they digitised this book, kept it updated and linked it to who was showing it in real-time then.... we could go back to reading our even smaller screens to watch something on the small screen!
As it is, this is a great gift/read for the TV addict in your life.
April 12, 2026
listen... i just spent my entire day reading this thing from cover to cover and adding like 130 shows to my watchlist. i know it's supposed to be a reference book you have and flip through when looking for something to watch but man i couldn't help myself. my sister brought it for me from the library and it was honestly the perfect read for me right now.
November 26, 2025
4.25 stars
February 15, 2024
This book is a list compiled by DK, a famous encyclopedia, for people who like TV series.
As the title suggests, it introduces 1000 TV shows, but it is entirely in black and white and consists of only text. There are no images on the page, so it doesn't attract the readers.
If you are looking for interesting TV series, the movie review site IMDb is the most useful.
Select the “TV Shows” section from the menu and select “Browse TV Shows By Genre”.
That's all you need to do to find your favorite shows and playlists.
It is definitely more convenient than this book.
As the title suggests, it introduces 1000 TV shows, but it is entirely in black and white and consists of only text. There are no images on the page, so it doesn't attract the readers.
If you are looking for interesting TV series, the movie review site IMDb is the most useful.
Select the “TV Shows” section from the menu and select “Browse TV Shows By Genre”.
That's all you need to do to find your favorite shows and playlists.
It is definitely more convenient than this book.
September 19, 2021
An encyclopedia of television, breaking down 1,000 shows (of past and present) that cover a variety of mood ranges and occasions. The explanations are brief for the majority of the programs (with some series getting a longer profile). There's a complete alphabetical index in the back of the book, and a category breakdown at the front. The book was well skimmed, with certain chapters being more appealing (it will depend on personal taste), and several recommendations to try out.
March 14, 2021
Did not read cover to cover but skipped around. Not exactly David Thomson, but serviceable. Will purchase reference copy. What better recommendation could there be? How often do you bump into someone who’s actually watched more television than you?
August 3, 2021
Movie guide to watch in a person's many moods and emotions.
April 2, 2021
Know what to expect! The synopsis are so brief I cannot decide "IF" a show is something I want to try. "IF" you want this book for what it is billed as then of course you will be disappointed. You say it's a historical thriller and gets your heart racing? Well I say Ta ma to! Inaccurate and so unbelievable that etc. . . A friend who worked at blockbuster warned to never venture an opinion on a show unless you personally know that person well. It is good advice. Everybody likes different stuff and will have different opinions of that stuff. I like sci-fi but 87% of that genre is unwatchable. "To me"
I guess I got what I wanted from this book. I was just wondering and interested in getting someone else's take on shows I've watched and I got that alright. I may not agree with the authors assessment but that is to be expected. Completely worthless.
I guess I got what I wanted from this book. I was just wondering and interested in getting someone else's take on shows I've watched and I got that alright. I may not agree with the authors assessment but that is to be expected. Completely worthless.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews