The 5 best TV shows to watch with your dad this Father's Day
Get out the grill accessories, the tacky ties and the golf clubs, because Sunday, June 15 is Father's Day.
The annual holiday celebrating all things dad is a great day to spend barbecuing, going to a ball game or just hanging out on the couch with the old man, binge-watching a show that has his very same vibes.
We're talking science fiction, history, cop shows, spy shows and, of course, Gary Oldman. We're talking shows that celebrate the bond between father and child (or father and adopted alien), shows that celebrate the very best of dads and men everywhere, and shows that contain no awkward moments or mature content that will have you hiding behind your hands in embarrassment. We're talking "Star Wars," "Star Trek" and hours of entertainment that will bring you and your father closer together.
Please enjoy our top five picks for shows to watch with your dad this Father's Day, giving him the gift of something you can talk (and argue about) over dinner.
If your dad likes 'Star Wars': 'The Mandalorian'
"Star Wars" and "dads" go together like blue milk and Luke Skywalker, and have since the first film came out in 1977. The recent group of TV series from Disney's Lucasfilm has also landed squarely in the paternal category, particularly the first and most literal dad show of them all: "The Mandalorian." Pedro Pascal's helmeted galactic warrior is doing dad duty to young Grogu, aka "Baby Yoda," a little green Force-wielding toddler who likes to eat frogs and cause mayhem. A gritty and violent tale about what a father would do to protect his child from a big, bad world, "Mandalorian" is gruff and lovable all at once. It's a genre Pascal is acutely suited to, and can also be seen in his HBO post-apocalyptic zombie series, "The Last of Us" (streaming on Max), albeit with far more gore.
How to watch 'The Mandalorian'
Seasons 1-3 now streaming on Disney+
If your dad prefers 'Star Trek': 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'
If your dad is more "Trekkie" than "rebel scum," it's worth checking out the very best "Trek" series of this century. "Strange" is everything that is good about the franchise spawned by Gene Roddenberry's hopeful 1960s sci-fi series, without the annoying baggage. "Strange" is colorful, joyful, surprising and nostalgic all at once, chronicling the voyages of the Enterprise captained by Chris Pike (Anson Mount) in the years before a certain Captain Kirk came aboard (a young version of James Kirk shows up now and again, played by Paul Wesley). Captain Pike gives off serious dad energy as he leads the crew of the iconic starship through the final frontier. The series includes young and aptly cast versions of Spock (Ethan Peck), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) as well as likable new characters.
How to watch 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'
Seasons 1-2 now streaming on Paramount+. Season 3 premieres July 17.
If your dad is super into World War II history: 'Masters of the Air'
Produced by the same team that brought dads HBO's "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific," Apple TV+'s meticulous 2024 epic details the story of airmen diligently fighting in World War II. The slick series, populated with young up-and-comer actors led by Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan and Anthony Boyle, follows men from the 100th Bomber Group, who flew dangerous raids into enemy territory and were far more likely than infantrymen to be killed or missing in action. The nine-part limited series tells a harrowing and sobering story with a perspective you may not have seen before, even in all those World War II dramas of decades past.
How to watch 'Masters of the Air'
Now streaming on Apple TV+.
If your dad is into spy stuff: 'Slow Horses'
Gary Oldman is probably your dad's favorite actor. It's just one of the immutable dad facts, and his skill is on display in this British spy black comedy set in Slough House, where all the disgraced and washed-out spies are sent by the clandestine British service. It's meant to be a place of administrative drudgery with zero action, and yet, led by the affectionately abrasive Jackson Lamb (Oldman), Slough House and its slow horses somehow get involved in some of the most important cases of the moment. Come for Oldman, stay for the rest of the charming cast and the tongue-in-cheek humor.
How to watch 'Slow Horses'
Seasons 1-4 now streaming on Apple TV+. The series has been renewed for a fifth season, due in September.
If your dad likes easy watching: 'Bosch'
Amazon Prime Video is known for making an entire subgenre of TV affectionately referred to as "dad shows." They include "Jack Ryan," "Reacher," "Patriot" and the original dad show to out-dad-show them all: "Bosch." Based on the books by Michael Connelly about LAPD detective Harry Bosch (brought to life in glowering glory by Titus Welliver), it features a cop who plays by the rules when they are convenient but follows his own moral code. Welliver's husky, haggard portrayal of the detective has kept the series going for seven seasons (2015-21), and inspired two spinoffs, "Bosch: Legacy" (essentially a sequel) and the upcoming "Ballard" (streaming July 9).
How to watch 'Bosch'
Seasons 1-7 now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.