Have you binged the new Netflix show Russian Doll? Season One is only eight episodes (a half hour each) long, and I snapped them up like candy all on one night. What makes that even better was I watched it on February 2, that oddball American holiday known as Groundhog Day.

Used to be that this was a day a large rodent would predict the coming of spring, but now Groundhog Day is better known as the time of year to pick a movie or TV episode showcasing a repeating day loop theme.  There’s a big list now, and it keeps growing. To my knowledge, Russian Doll is the first ever TV show to ever base an entire series on the repeating day plot.  It also has the biting wit and birthday shenanigans of similar-themed humor-horror film Happy Death Day.

I enjoyed the holy heck out of it, especially with Natasha Lyonne as the main character. (Remember her, as Nicki from Orange Is The New Black?) Our own RunPee Shani Ogilve is writing up a binge review as I write this. I’ll add the link as it emerges, but here’s a way to get started. Instead of Groundhog Day’s morning song refrain I Got You Babe, Russian Doll begins each “life” with Harry Nilsson’s Gotta Get Up. It’s bouncy, strangely dark, absurdly cheerful, and totally works. It’s also hard to get out of your head, so don’t even try. Enjoy the song and lyrics below:

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 Gotta Get Up

(Remastered song by Harry Nilsson)

Gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the morning comes
What if I’m late, gotta big date, gotta get home before the sun comes up
Up and away, got a big day, sorry can’t stay, I gotta run, run, yeah
Gotta get home, pick up the phone, I gotta let the people know I’m gonna be late

There was a time when we could dance until a quarter to ten,
We never thought it would end then, we never thought it would end
We used to carry on and drink and do the rock and roll
We never thought we’d get older
We never thought it’d grow cold, but now

Gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the morning comes
What if I’m late, gotta big date, gotta get home before the sun comes up
Up and away, got a big day, sorry can’t stay, I gotta run, run, yeah
Gotta get home, pick up the phone, I gotta let the people know I’m gonna be late

Down by the sea she knew a sailor who had been to war
She never even knew a sailor before, she never even knew his name
He’d come to town and he would pound her for a couple of days
And then he’d sail across the bubbly waves and those were happier days, but now

Gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get home before the morning comes
What if I’m late, gotta big date, gotta get home before the sun comes up
Up and away, got a big day, sorry can’t stay I gotta run, run, yeah
Gotta get home pick up the phone, I gotta let the people know I’m gonna be late…

(Songwriters: Ted Nilsson. Gotta Get Up lyrics 1971 © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc)

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Russian Doll is the newest Netflix Addition to the Groundhog Day Loop Theme – and it looks GREAT

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Russian Doll is the newest Netflix Addition to the Groundhog Day Loop Theme – and it looks GREAT