I am totally a TV aficionado. After falling in love with the top pick on this list, my standard for “good tv” became sky-high. I’m very thankful for this binge-culture that has allowed complicated plot lines, character development, and those shows that I wish never had to end.
10. Brothers and Sisters: An ABC drama from the early-2000’s with themes about family and politics that still resonate today (I watched it for a third time in 2019). Sally Field plays the perfect matriarch and her entire family is perfectly flawed- they’re so relatable in both their struggles and their triumphs. Rob Lowe also plays my ultimate dream-husband, even though he’s a republican in the show.
9. Mad Men: This was the second show in my life that really made me love TV. AMC had a way of making such a statement in understated moments, and crafted such a bold character with Don Draper. Don Draper can cheat on his wife with me any day. The theme song has been my ringtone since my freshman year of college, and I don’t think I’ll ever change it.
8. Game of Thrones: Let’s just not talk about that last season. Just don’t watch it. This show still makes the list because it is the only time that a TV show had me screaming out loud (Oberyn and the Mountain episode, for my GOT fans). It takes at least three episodes to understand the world, and there’s constant world-building on top of that, but it’s wonderfully dense and filled with memorable/shocking moments that you won’t forget.
7. Gossip Girl: When I need a break from all of my usual dramatic shows, Gossip Girl is my go-to. The fashion is perfection. The plot is spicy. I read all of the books back in middle school and the characters honestly feel like my friends at this point. A must-watch for anyone fashion-savvy.
6. Peaky Blinders: This show is a wonderfully modern period piece. The alt-rock soundtrack makes the 1930’s feel like today, and the acting brings a masterful realness to the brutal characters. Watch all at once: the plot is so dense, that I have to rewatch the series before each new season for a refresher (not that I mind).
5. Westworld: This is the second-best sci-fi on TV since Star Trek. This show wraps thought-provoking sci-fi concepts up with edgy characters, sex, violence- all of that stuff that we just love to watch, so the conceptual stuff is more digestible. The end of season 1 had one of the best twists that I have ever seen, and kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire second season. Can not wait for season 3.
4. Years and Years: THIS IS THE BEST SCI-FI ON TV SINCE STAR TREK. This HBO limited series will not only make you think, but make you question how every part of our culture is shaping our future and who we are. This isn’t the robots and aliens kind of sci-fi, but a realistic look at where our world could be headed over the next 15 years. The series finale had me so shook, I had to rewatch it immediately. Find a friend to watch this with you, you’ll want to talk about it with someone.
3. Sex and the City: Another must-watch for the fashion-savvy. I’ve watched this show multiple times at different points of my life, and every time, different lessons resonate with me. Each character is brilliant. The clothes are brilliant. I’ll be watching this show until I die.
2. The Newsroom: If there is one show that I could watch over and over, until I die, this is it. Three amazing seasons on HBO; and the series opens with a bold monologue that you’ve probably seen clips of on YouTube, but will never forget. The show balances tackling tough topics with occasional humor, and will make you question how you watch the news, and all of the events of the early 2010s. The acting is amazing, I am still invested in every character and think they need to revive this show for the present-day because they would absolutely destroy our perception of current politics. The theme song is actually my alarm clock in the morning. I literally only have HBO so I can rewatch this show all the time.
1. Breaking Bad: THIS SHOW MADE ME LOVE TV. I watched this before the era of Netflix: renting the DVDs of previous seasons to catch up before DVRing the episodes that were airing. The plot. The acting. The writing. Nothing has ever come close to the brilliance of this show. I have only watched it once, and will not watch it again, because I have such vivid memories of watching it while it was on the air. The impression it made one me changed the way that I watch TV, and set the bar high.
Honorable mentions:
House of Cards: I am so bitter that Kevin Spacey turned out to be such a creep because this show was incredible. Honestly, I even enjoyed the season after they wrote him out. Frank Underwood is my second-favorite anti-hero, after Walter White. Frank and Claire are both inspirational in their cutthroat nature. The music from the credits was my alarm clock in college.
Grace and Frankie: Comedy gold. I have never laughed so hard at a show ever.
How I Met Your Mother: I’m not a huge sitcom fan, but this one was great. The characters were all irritatingly-lovable, and I loved watching them all grow over the entire show.
The West Wing: The only reason this show doesn’t make the top 10 is because it’s very much The Newsroom of the 90’s. The politics are still relevant today, it will make you question if we’re really making progress as a nation…
xoxo,
Kaitlyn
