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.
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.
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)
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).
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.
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!