I asked ChatGPT to tell me what to watch on TV – here’s what happened

We've all been there on a Friday night. You've fluffed the pillows, lit the candles, hunkered down with a blanket and… ended up endlessly scrolling through the streamers, only to realise you've already watched everything on your recommended list.

I hate scrolling, and I'll often just flick on one of my comfort shows so I know I won't be disappointed. 

But sometimes, a 50th viewing of Fleabag won't cut it – sometimes, I want something new to sink my teeth into.

Enter, ChatGPT. 

With AI now creeping into every corner of life – from planning a holiday to designing a dream morning routine and, for some of my friends, treating it as another sounding board when I'm not replying to their texts – I decided to give it the ultimate challenge: choosing what I should binge next.

As someone who watches TV for a living and prides themselves on keeping up with the latest and greatest shows, could AI actually surprise me?

Here's what happened…

How I used ChatGPT to find my next must-watch

So, where to start? I knew that giving ChatGPT as much information as possible would increase my chances of it proving successful, so I started by telling it every single TV show I love. 

© Photo: Getty Images

As a TV writer, I admit I do have a handy list of go-tos in case anyone ever asks me – but it came in useful for this very reason!

I then asked it to suggest what I should watch based on my picks. My words were: "Tell me what to watch on TV – I have all the streamers and my favourite shows are…"

What did ChatGPT say?

I was surprised by how many shows Chat came back with – and how many had already been recommended to me.

© NurPhoto via Getty Images

After an initial back-and-forth of me telling it I'd already seen a couple of its suggested picks, it replied: 

"Got it – you clearly have wide-ranging taste, but with some clear trends:

• Romantic period drama & costume intrigue 
• Character-driven drama & relationships 
• Sharp thrillers & mystery 
• Feel-good comedy 
• Glossy reality & docu-drama"

Since I had all of the streamers, it then made a curated list of fresh picks it thought I'd love – and if that wasn't enough, it grouped them by mood, so I could jump straight in depending on how I was feeling at the end of a day. 

My curated watchlist, courtesy of ChatGPT

In the end, my watchlist consisted of: 

Romantic & Period Drama Escapes

• Belgravia: The Next Chapter (ITVX/MGM+) 
• Sanditon (ITVX/BritBox) 
• Hotel Portofino (ITVX/Acorn)

Emotional, Character-Led Drama

• Fleishman Is in Trouble (Disney+) 
• Life & Beth (Disney+)

Slick Thrillers & Smart Mysteries

• The Capture (BBC iPlayer) 
• Rabbit Hole (Paramount+) 
• Treason (Netflix)

Comfort & Clever Comedy

• Starstruck (BBC iPlayer) 
• Young Offenders (BBC iPlayer) 
• The Other Two (Now TV) 
• Hacks (Prime Video)

© HBO

A tailored approach 

While Chat had already given me a huge chunk of shows to watch, I wanted to take it a step further.

Taking period dramas as an example, I asked it to isolate by a streamer and told it I wanted a more romance-driven plot. It gave me Sanditon (ITVX), Hotel Portofino (ITVX) and Beecham House (ITVX). 

© ITV

It even gave me helpful prompts such as: "If you want, I can narrow this to the 6 most bingeable, romance-heavy ones, so you get that Bridgerton dopamine hit without the slow-burn history slump."

Never have I ever felt more seen. 

After saying yes, it gave me Belgravia: The Next Chapter (ITVX/MGM+), Sanditon (ITVX/BritBox), The Empress (Netflix), Hotel Portofino (ITVX/Acorn), Vanity Fair (ITVX/Amazon) and Gentleman Jack (BBC iPlayer). 

My overall verdict

After watching Belgravia: The Next Chapter and Fleishman Is in Trouble, it's safe to say that Chat was right on the money.

Both shows had me hooked for very different reasons – and it matched the exact tone of TV I was looking for at the time. 

© ITV/ NBC Universal

I get that people have their reservations about AI, but when you're deep in a TV slump, it can be surprisingly useful.

Sure, it doesn't always get things right, but in this instance, it was the perfect curator – it knew my taste, didn't judge my preferences and could dig out a few hidden gems within seconds. 

And who knows? You might have fun while you're at it!