I hardly ever get to watch real TV, so I’m always having to record shows, or download and stream online when I do get the chance to sit down and catch up. One of the most frustrating things is when shows aren’t available, or you have to pay hefty subscription fees for networks to allow you access, most of the time for one off series or films that you then end up paying monthly with no real use.

Disclaimer: This post was written in collaboration with Emily Jones. Sign up to Chili.com was my personal choice and all opinions are my own.

While I get next to no time sat on my own sofa, I spend so much time on flights, sat in airports, or in hotel rooms with nothing but foreign channels I can’t understand. For me this is the perfect time to binge watch the shows I could never have the time to watch at home.

Currently the top show on my list is obviously, Game of Thrones. A program that so many are obsessed with, I actually surprise myself how much I love it. Mythical stories, battles, dragons, kingdoms fighting for the throne is literally everything I hate when it comes to films, but from series 1 of GOT I was hooked, right through to watching the latest episode in the lounge at Charles de Gaulle airport.

Without sharing any spoilers, it did take me until THAT episode (9) of the first series for me to really get into it, and for anyone who has never watched ANY of it, I would really urge you to stick it out until at least that episode.

I keep saying to my fellow GOT fans at work, I really wish I was watching it all again for the first time, with all the twists, turns, shocks and emotional trauma that comes with it. I envy everyone who intends to start it from scratch!

Speaking of emotional traumas, Grey’s Anatomy. That show was my therapy after a particularly hideous relationship at uni, where I moved home and had two weeks of moping around in bed. I watched a good 5 or 6 series of it straight, but at the time streaming online was pretty rubbish quality. 

If there’s ever a box set that I would pay for it’s this show, it’s absolutely incredible. I kept up to date with it for so long, but in more recent times I’ve fallen behind. I know what happens to McDreamy…I’m not that far behind, but I really need to finish the latest few seasons ASAP.

Although most people watched Luther from the beginning, this is a series I was arrived at very late to the party. I watched the most recent series first, which is obviously a really stupid thing to do, but I was hooked and needed to watch the previous seasons very quickly.

A gritty crime thriller, with a very easy on the eye Idris Elba solving high profile murder cases is right up my street as well, and there’s not many episodes to each season so it’s not overwhelming. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve just put an episode of this on while travelling.

I was recently introduced to Chili, a concept born in Italy that is on the rise in the UK too (it’s available at uk.chili.com). This new service comes with some pretty big differences to the more well known streaming names you might be familiar with, and all the shows I’ve mentioned are available on it, as well as many more.

One of the biggest differences here is that it’s pay as you view, rather than a subscription service, which is perfect if you aren’t one to just watch anything because it’s available, but prefer to choose well known programs and pay when it suits you. Another big difference is the movie section.

You can rent, buy, and pre order the latest big films, even the ones at the cinema. They also have the IMDb ratings and reviews within the platform, making it a lot easier to get an overview of how good films are. For those who still like the good old DVD’s or box sets, you can order those to be post to you, just like old times.

I hate the idea of subscription fees for loads of different things coming out of my bank account each month, but I’m also a big one for the convenience of watching things at times that suit me. I’ll happily pay for the specific shows or films I want to watch, but in a way that I have more control over.

I signed up to uk.chili.com this week, and first on my download list is A Star is Born, at a cost of less than £5. If you’re a big TV/film fan it’s really worth a look.

As Game of Thrones is nearly done, and I’ll get through the remaining Grey’s Anatomy series very quickly, does anyone have any other recommendations that just shouldn’t be missed? Homeland? House of Cards? Or old favourites I should revisit? I can feel Carrie Bradshaw strutting back onto my smartscreen very soon…