Forget ‘Doctor Who,’ This 12-Episode Sci-Fi Masterpiece Is the Perfect Weekend Binge

Timewasters is a British sci-fi comedy about four struggling South London musicians who discover a time machine in their apartment block’s lift and end up stranded in the past. Rather than setting out to save history, the jazz quartet focus on finding somewhere to stay and earning money, creating humour from the clash between modern life and the eras they visit.

Created by Daniel Lawrence Taylor, the series aired on ITV2 for two seasons from 2017 to 2019 and runs for 12 episodes. Its first season takes the band to 1926, while the second moves them to Britain’s late-1950s cool-jazz scene. Taylor drew on his own experience learning trumpet, and the article highlights the four leads’ rapport and the show’s unusual approach to time travel.