An 11-inch rectangular laptop screen doesn’t always satisfy a craving for entertainment. There are times when we must all turn to the often-neglected television sets sitting in our living rooms. Luckily, technology has made it pretty easy to enjoy sites like Netflix on a TV. Binge-watching a show is a bonding experience unlike most. Fortunately, Netflix offers everything from “Malcolm in the Middle” to “Mad Men.” If you’re feeling lost, here are some suggestions.
“Star Trek: The Next Generation” – I really do believe this show appeals to everybody. The humor doesn’t just come from this show’s 1987 start date, (although a lack of special effects make fight scenes funny) but from quality story lines and great acting. Sometimes this show’s themes get unexpectedly deep and existential, dealing with the human condition and relationships with other planets. And no, you don’t have to know anything about Star Trek to enjoy it.
“Freaks and Geeks” — Judd Apatow did a beautiful thing for the world in 1999, and that was creating this show. Set in the 1980s, this show follows Lindsey and her transition from brainy chick to rebel. This show makes you feel nostalgic for a time that you never even experienced yourself. Look out for Bill, one of the funniest characters I have ever seen in a TV show. It also doesn’t hurt that James Franco plays a leather-clad, tousled-hair bad boy.
“Skins” — Shit goes down in this show. This British dramedy will make you realize that you weren’t actually as cool as you thought you were in high school as it follows the lives of an eclectic group of teens. The show’s structure is interesting in that each episode is titled the name of a character, and the focus of the episode is on that character. the first two “series” focus on the characters Tony, and the second two series focus on his younger sister, Effie. Everything past series four sucks. And if you’ve only seen the American version on MTV, that doesn’t count.
“Gossip Girl” — Lets be honest, the opening credits say it all: you know you love it. Go back to the first season and relive the strange amount of drama focused on wealthy young people in Upper East Side New York City. There are well-dressed men. Blake Lively tries to pass for a high schooler. There’s a “Ting Tings” soundtrack … xoxo. It’s also crazy to see how old this show seems for only having started in 2007. I’m talking slider phones.
“New Girl” — A girl comes home to find her boyfriend cheating on her, so she moves out and moves in with three guys who had a spare room for rent. Simple. This show explores the ups and downs of living co-ed: sharing a bathroom, what happens when you hook up with your roommate, how to deal with your roommates dating your friends, and how to keep everyone from being a douche bag. The funniest parts of this show come from how specifically the characters are developed, especially the three guys.