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The ultimate summer TV binge-watching guide

Movie theaters used to be the places we could escape the punishing sun and get a blast of AC. But now you don't even have to leave the house. Summer TV may be dreck, but grab the remote and hit up Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu for entertaining finds without leaving your couch.

Watch all 183 episodes of "Seinfeld," uncut, at Hulu Plus. NBC
Watch all 183 episodes of "Seinfeld," uncut, at Hulu Plus. NBCRead more

Look, it's getting hot. That kind of Philly hot that makes your skin feel perpetually wet.

Movie theaters used to be the places we could escape the punishing sun and get a blast of AC. But now you don't even have to leave the house. Summer TV may be dreck, but grab the remote and hit up Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu for entertaining finds without leaving your couch.

Consider this your ultimate reason to stay inside.

'Seinfeld'

What it's about: Nothing.

Where to watch: Hulu Plus.

Why you should watch it: Seinfeld is a big get for Hulu Plus, the streaming network that, unlike Netflix or Amazon Prime, has focused largely on acquiring rights to current shows, rather than catalog titles. It makes paying that monthly fee seem a little more attractive. All 183 episodes of the classic NBC sitcom stream now, uncut and at their normal speed, unlike what you see in syndication.

Other classic comedies: Friends (Netflix) still holds up incredibly well, considering how dated it could seem (well, there're the fashions . . .), and M*A*S*H (Netflix) will always be great. But the mack-daddy of them all? Cheers. Let Netflix remind you about why the greatest sitcom of all time was set in a neighborhood bar.

'Broadchurch'

What it's about: Um, child murder. Wait! Don't go! The first season of this moody Brit mystery is really about the effects of crime on the people it touches, including the family of the victim, the detectives, and the media.

Where to watch: Netflix Instant.

Why you should watch: It's moody yet surprisingly funny, with David Tennant (Dr. Who, also streaming on Netflix and Hulu) and Olivia Colman representing different poles of personality in their partnership, making the show inherently watchable. Look for the second season to stream soon.

Other Brit murder mysteries to check out: Netflix is chock-full of them. Try Happy Valley (about a vet inspector investigating the death of her daughter), The Fall (Gillian Anderson investigates serial killer Jamie Dornan, a.k.a. the guy from 50 Shades of Grey showing he can actually act), and Luther (featuring The Wire's Idris Elba as an unhinged detective, helped along in the first season by criminal mastermind Alice, one of TV's greatest evil creations, as played by The Affair's Ruth Wilson).

'Catastrophe'

What it's about: An American adman gets an Irish woman pregnant while on business in London and moves to take care of the baby.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime.

Why you should watch: Movies have largely forsaken the rom-com, but Catastrophe is a prickly delight, sharp and funny, buoyed by the chemistry of leads and creators Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan (not to mention an incredible Carrie Fisher cameo). If you're going to watch one comedy, make it this one.

Other romantic comedies to catch: Fox canceled The Mindy Project, but Hulu is picking it up for a fourth season, and it has the previous three streaming.

'Jane the Virgin'

What it's about: The titular virgin is accidentally inseminated with the sperm of the studly hotel magnate she works for, just as her detective boyfriend plans to propose and her telenovela-star father enters her life.

Where to watch: Available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon Instant Video.

Why you should watch: You pay for all of these services, so why buy? Because the best show of last season was this sweet comedy on The CW (The CW?! Yes, The CW). It expertly plays off the conventions of a telenovela. The deep-voiced narrator would be the best character were it not for Jane's self-centered, perfectly coiffed, entirely hilarious dad, Rogelio (Jaime Camil). Or her abuela (Ivonne Coll). Or her mom (Andrea Navedo). Or Jane herself (Golden Globe-winning Gina Rodriguez).

Other new shows to catch up on: Were you the only person who didn't watch Empire, Fox's brilliantly sudsy hip-hop soap? Rectify that. Devour it all on Hulu Plus. It's back on Fox on Sept. 23.

'Hannibal'

What it's about: Thomas Harris' ultimate villain lives again, this time played by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, pursued by Will Graham, played with frenetic energy by Hugh Dancy.

Where to watch: The third season is on NBC now, but the previous two stream on Amazon Prime.

Why you should watch: Another Hannibal story? Nope. Creator Bryan Fuller uses the novels as template rather than source. Hannibal is more like an opera than Harris' pulp. It's gory yet gorgeous. Yes, NBC just axed a fourth season, but it's likely to get picked up again by a streaming service, potentially Amazon.

Other undiscovered gems: Rectify starts its third season Thursday on SundanceTV, but watch the first two seasons of this beautiful slow-burner - about a man readjusting to life after he was wrongly incarcerated for killing his high school girlfriend - on Netflix.

'Twin Peaks/The X-Files'

What they are about: If you don't know by now. . . .

Where you can watch: Twin Peaks (Netflix, Hulu); The X-Files (Netflix, Hulu Plus).

Why you should watch: Both shows are being resurrected. The X-Files redux airs Jan. 24 on Fox while Showtime takes on Twin Peaks for a continuation of the groundbreaking series.

Others back from the dead: Rewatch Wet Hot American Summer on Netflix before the eight-episode prequel premieres July 31.

215-854-5909@mollyeichel