Watching TV is my longest running addiction. I remember being glued to the TV for most of the 90's watching Nickelodeon and USA mostly. My favorite shows ranged from Doug and Rugrats to reruns of Wings, MacGyver, Charlie's Angels, and Golden Girls. What can I say, I've always had an eclectic taste when it comes to television. Now, I watch whatever I want on demand through Netflix, PBS, and HBO GO. Netflix is probably the best $8 I spend every month, and I pretty much watch everything from Korean TV series, Ken Burns documentaries and weird French films. I love them all. Now that I don't have a regular work schedule, I have to always be mindful to control my addiction. I admit, for several months when I was feeling especially lost in my career goals, I spent quite a few hours binge watching TV shows and movies. But you can only do that for so long before you start feeling like you're really wasting your time. Luckily, I'm better at it now though I still watch a lot of TV. But to make myself feel better for all those hours spent in front of the flat screen, I decided to write up this blog post so at least one good thing can come out of it. These are some of my top recommendations for binge-worthy TV shows {in no particular order}.
1) Sopranos {on HBO Go or HBO Now}: It was one of the best shows over 10 years ago, but it still stands the test of time. It was the first of it's kind {strong group casting, unpredictable and intense plot lines}, but it's still one of the best. It starts off slow, but I promise you'll be hooked if you give it a try.
2) The Wire {HBO}: Again, one of those classic binge-worthy TV shows. It starts off slow and there's also a lag around season 2-3, but stick with it. It gets better.
3) Mad Men {Netflix}: I was late to the game on this one because when it first came out, I had no patience for the slow pace of the character development. But once I started binge-watching it, I couldn't stop. And I caught up with the whole series about a month before the final season. I love love love this show.
4) Breaking Bad {Netflix}: I also caught up on this one about mid-way through the series. This is one of the few series my husband got hooked on, and he has no patience for TV so you know it must be good. The show keeps a great momentum throughout the whole series.
5) Boardwalk Empire {HBO}: In the same vein as Sopranos, but with the awesome 1920's period design. Definitely binge-worthy and one of the few times I really loved Steve Buscemi in a role.
6) Game of Thrones {HBO}: It was so good I read the books. And I have to say this is one of those rare occasions that the TV show is better than the books.
7) Downton Abbey {PBS}: Things have gone considerably downhill after Matthew died {and this can't possibly be a spoiler since this happened over a year ago}, but they've kind of limped along. The final season airs this year.
8) House of Cards {Netflix}: First 2 seasons were good, the third not so much. We'll see how the fourth one is.
9) Sherlock {Netlfix/PBS}: This is more a miniseries than an actual TV series, but no matter. It's good.
Honorable Mentions:
-Walking Dead {Netflix/AMC}: I was obsessed with this show for the first several seasons but I've lost interest in the current seasons. I'm sure I'll finish watching to see what happens but I'm no longer in its grip.
-Lost {Netflix}: I have to mention this show because it was the first TV series I ever binge-watched, but compared to some of the ones in the list above, it can be a bit slow and at times nonsensical. If you like logic, you probably won't like this show. But I'm also biased because it was filmed in my hometown, and I got a thrill whenever I recognized scenes from home.
-True Detective {HBO}: Season 1 was stellar. I haven't seen season 2 but I haven't heard any good things about it.
-The Newsroom {HBO}: Season 1 only. Some brilliant writing in the first season, but then things get weird and boring by season 2.
-Other favorite HBO shows: Veep, Girls
-Other favorite Netflix shows: Orange is the New Black, Parks and Rec, Modern Family, The Office, 30 Rock, United States of Tara, The Killing, The Fall, Chef's Table, Broadchurch, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries {current obsession}, Fleming the man who would be Bond, Bomb Girls
-Other favorite PBS shows: Poldark, The Crimson Field, Call the Midwives {Netflix too}, The Paradise {Netflix too}, FrontLine documentaries.
At this point you might be asking, what shows haven't I watched. Well these are some of the ones I've watched a couple episodes of and couldn't get into for one reason or another: Scandal, Revenge, Sons of Anarchy. Marco Polo, Peaky Blinders, West Wing, Parenthood, White Collar
In terms of TV, the really good options are running out {which is a very good thing}. Do you have any TV or movie recommendations?