If you've opened Netflix, Prime Video, or iPlayer recently, you'll know the feeling. There's so much good stuff on right now that choosing what to watch has somehow become more stressful than your actual to-do list. the latest series of the Traitors just landed last weekend, I'm a Celeb kicked off the week before, there are new BBC thrillers popping up left, right and centre — and you're still three episodes behind on that thing everyone was talking about at Easter.

Here's the thing: AI can actually help with this. Not in a creepy, robot-tells-you-what-to-think way. More like having a mate who's watched everything and knows exactly what you're in the mood for. Let's walk through it.

Why Picking What to Watch Has Become So Hard

It wasn't always like this, was it? There was a time when you had four channels and whatever was on was what you watched. Now there are hundreds of streaming services, each with thousands of shows, and every single one of them claims to be "the most talked-about drama of the year."

The result? Decision paralysis. You spend 40 minutes scrolling, can't commit to anything, and end up rewatching old episodes of Gogglebox. (No judgement — we've all been there.)

The problem isn't a lack of good TV. It's that there's too much good TV and no easy way to filter it down to what you will actually enjoy.

That's where AI comes in.

How to Ask AI for TV Recommendations

You can use any free AI chatbot — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot — and simply have a conversation about what you want to watch. The trick is to be specific about your taste, not just say "recommend me something good."

Think about it like this: if you walked into a video shop (remember those?) and said "I want something good," the person behind the counter would need to ask you a few questions first. AI is the same.

Here's what to tell it:

For example, you might type something like: "I just finished Slow Horses and loved it. I'm in the mood for something British, a bit tense, with good characters. I've got Netflix and iPlayer. What should I watch next?"

The AI will come back with a handful of suggestions, each with a short explanation of why it thinks you'd like it. If the first batch doesn't grab you, just say so — tell it what didn't appeal and it'll adjust. It's a conversation, not a quiz.

Getting Recommendations Without Spoilers

One of the best things about asking AI instead of scrolling social media or reading reviews is that you can specifically ask for no spoilers. Just add "please don't spoil anything" to your message and it'll keep things vague enough to be helpful without ruining the good bits.

This is especially handy right now with Euphoria Season 3 all over social media. If you haven't started it yet and you're trying to decide whether it's worth your time, you can ask the AI to tell you the general vibe and whether it matches your taste — without revealing a single plot point.

You can even ask things like, "Is The Boys Season 5 worth watching if I found Season 4 a bit slow?" and get an honest, spoiler-free answer.

Tame the Watchlist Beast

Here's another clever trick: use AI to organise the growing pile of shows you've been meaning to watch.

Just list out everything on your watchlist and ask the AI to help you prioritise. You could say: "Here are 8 shows on my list. I've got about 5 hours a week to watch telly. Can you put them in order based on what I should start first, considering I like thrillers and I'm avoiding anything too bleak right now?"

The AI will sort your list, explain its reasoning, and even suggest which ones you could skip entirely. It's like having a personal TV concierge, except it doesn't cost £9.99 a month.

You can also ask it to plan a viewing schedule. Something like: "I want to be caught up on The Traitors before the finale. There are 8 episodes and the finale is in 6 weeks. How many episodes should I watch per week?" Simple maths, maybe — but it's surprisingly helpful when you're juggling three different shows at once.

Settle the "What Are We Watching?" Argument

If you share a sofa with someone who has completely different taste, AI can help there too. Tell it what both of you like and ask it to find something you'd both enjoy. It's faster than the usual 45-minute standoff that ends with everyone on their phones.

Try: "My partner loves true crime and I prefer comedies. We both enjoyed The White Lotus. Can you suggest something we'd both like on Netflix or Prime?"

You might be surprised by what it comes up with.

Try This Prompt

Here's a ready-made prompt you can copy, paste, and tweak right now:

I need help deciding what to watch next. Here's a bit about me: I recently enjoyed [name 1-3 shows you liked] and I'm in the mood for something [describe the vibe — e.g. gripping, light-hearted, funny, dark]. I have about [number] hours free per week to watch. I subscribe to [list your streaming services — e.g. Netflix, Prime Video, iPlayer, Disney+]. Please suggest 5 shows I'd probably love, with a one-line reason for each and which platform it's on. No spoilers!

Just replace the bits in square brackets with your own details and paste it into any AI chatbot. You'll have your evening sorted in about 30 seconds.

The Bottom Line

AI won't watch the shows for you (unfortunately). But it can cut through the noise, save you from the endless scroll, and point you towards something you'll genuinely enjoy. With so much brilliant TV landing right now — from Traitors to The Jungle to whatever BBC drama drops next Monday — there's never been a better time to let AI play TV guide.

Now go and put the kettle on. You've got something good to watch tonight.