The Best Educational Kids Shows to Stream During School Closures

The end is nigh... or in the case of many of the shows and movies below, it's already passed. If you're looking for the best post-apocalyptic, end-of-the-world TV shows and movies to make our current semi-apocalyptic conditions seem not so bad, look no further.

TV has always been a great place to turn when you needed an instant pick-me-up. And during these uncertain times, more and more people are looking toward streaming to help distract them or just to bring a little bit more joy into their lives. And who couldn't use a bit more joy right now? That's why we've rounded up the very best feel-good shows available to binge-watch right now.

There's nothing like the unscripted drama of real people fighting to see their dreams realized, which is why reality competition shows are so addictive. And with Netflix's already stacked library constantly expanding, it's becoming increasingly difficult to figure out which of these shows are worth that weekend binge since most tend to get lost in the mix.

Like comedy or horror, "thriller" is a genre of entertainment that's meant to provoke a physical response in the viewer. In this case, you're supposed to feel stress. A great thriller will raise your blood pressure and make you forget to breathe. In the same way you watch a family drama to make yourself cry, you watch a thriller to feel controlled anxiety.

These days, there is no shortage of bingeable TV shows, and new streaming series and episodes of your favorites seem to be dropping at an increasingly dizzying speed (just look at the heaping list of titles that were added to the major streaming services this month alone).

Long gone are the days when cartoons were made solely for kids' Saturday morning viewing pleasure. Thanks to the likes of The Simpsons, Beavis and Butt-Head, and South Park, adult-oriented animated programs have been proliferating for quite some time, with favorites like Family Guy, Rick and Morty, Bob's Burgers, and more broadening the scope of just how hilarious all of those drawn characters can be.

If you've been sleeping on Steven Universe or Bob's Burgers or Big Mouth because they're animated, then you've been missing out on some of the best TV shows of the decade. Cartoons aren't just for kids anymore, and the 201os marked a renaissance for adult animation, delivering some of TV's best shows, period.

Between Netflix Originals and the streaming service's acquired titles, Netflix has a stellar selection of horror series available to stream right now. There are the mainstream hits like AMC's The Walking Dead, underappreciated dramas like Penny Dreadful, and a suite of chilling international series that are waiting for you to discover them.

Fact: There's nothing better than free TV. But free TV doesn't mean it has to be bad TV. While we all sit inside socially distancing ourselves from the global coronavirus pandemic, there's an opportunity for some quality, free television thanks to Showtime, which is offering a 30-day free trial for new subscribers, no catch, if you sign up before May 3.

During these uncertain times, TV can be a great place to turn to for an instant pick-me-up, allowing you to escape into another world and forget about the problems plaguing you in this one. Sure, harrowing horror shows, dramatic reality competitions, and gritty crime dramas can make for thrilling binges, but sometimes you really are just in the mood for something happy. That's why we've rounded up the best feel-good shows streaming right now.

When it comes to finding a show about the macabre reality that is true crime, no place is better than Netflix. With hit series after hit series, it seems the streaming service is coming out with a must-see true crime show every couple of weeks. As long as people keep committing crimes, Netflix will keep pumping out true crime shows, and we'll continue to watch them.

The fact that horror shows aren't nearly as commonplace as horror movies is pretty horrifying in itself. But that doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of chilling shows to binge; you just need to know where to look! Fortunately, Netflix is a treasure trove of spooky series, eerie episodes, and terrifying tales.

Rip your TV off the wall and flush it down the toilet, because you won't be needing it anymore — Quibi is finally here. The much-anticipated (by some) mobile-only short-form streaming app has launched, with 50 shows all under 10 minutes an episode from big names like Jennifer Lopez, LeBron James, and Reese Witherspoon.

Of course you're in the mood to see the best comedy movies streaming services have to offer at the moment. If ever there was time when we're all feeling like, "I want to watch a movie that will make me laugh—not think or cry or feel too much, just laugh," it's now.

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and his family have donated $5 million to the School District of Philadelphia so city-wide students have laptops to study from home during current school closures caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Getting involved! Kristen Bell is stepping up to help children better understand the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.