I've had a lot of people ask me for suggestions in the past week which led me to creating this post; simply a low-down of what I personally think are 10 of the most entertaining shows that I have ever watched! (Not necessarily the best, but my personal favourites).
10. Orange Is The New Black
It's probably hard to believe that after watching the one and only (so far) season of this show, it's made it into the top 10 but it's just THAT good. A perfect mixture of awkward comedy, drama and romance, it focusses on Piper, a stuck-up, entitled woman who gets put into prison when she gets named after being involved with an international drug smuggle; an operation which was ran by her ex-girlfriend.
Now whilst preparing herself for marriage to fiancé Larry outside of prison, whilst also keeping herself sane behind bars, the last thing Piper wanted was to be confronted with the woman who put her there but unfortunately for her, that's exactly what she got.
9. Buffy The Vampire Slayer
From a very new show to a very old one, Buffy first aired in 1997; a whopping 17 years ago but still to this day, I can watch endless re-runs and still be entertained. Not only that, many shows that were created so long ago really lose their pertinence on modern screens but BTVS just doesn't.
The special effects weren't so over the top back then that they just look dated now and the story lines are still just as good, mixing the trials and tribulations of a girl in high school whilst also having to deal with the fact that your destiny is to fight demons in all shapes and sizes basically until you die… you know, the usual teenager stuff!
8. House Of Cards
I only recently got into House Of Cards; binge watching the first season in just a week than waiting desperately for the second to come onto Netflix, but it was evident how gripping it was just after watching the first episode, which was perfectly directed by David Fincher. The style of it is enough to keep you watching. It's slick, serious and dramatic, what more would you want from a political drama? Kevin Spacey? Oh well, yeah it's got that too.
Don't let the politics angle put you off though. I for one, am definitely not intelligent enough to be able to follow a show that is completely politics-based but House Of Cards is as much about personal relationships, character development and power plays as it is to do with the White House. So don't worry, you certainly won't get bogged down in public affairs jargon.
Another great thing about HOC is the lead character, Frank Underwood. Not very often do we get to see a show led solely by a character who is completely unlikeable and that's what makes it such interesting TV.
7. How I Met Your Mother
Now, everyone needs some comedy in their life and where Friends left a huge void in my television heart, How I Met Your Mother filled that gap. Very similar to Friends, HIMYM is about 5 20-somethings living in New York and dealing with everything life throws at them.
Okay okay, so it IS Friends but it is just as good and made me crack up multiple times each episode. I'm very sad that's it's almost finished it's last ever season and will no doubt be watching it for years on end on DVD when I need to smile!
6. Modern Family
Speaking of comedy, one of my all-time favourite shows for the laughs is this one. With a mockumentary style and an incredible large ensemble cast, it's very unique, but it's not only that that makes Modern Family stand out, it's the show's undeniable warmth and heart. It can go from making me laugh-out-loud to making me feel a little choked and that's what I've always loved about it. It has the dead-pan humour of Arrested Development whilst also having the touching moments of say, The Fosters and it's a good combination.
Having such a diverse range of characters, everyone who watches Modern Family can understand it, which is another reason why I think it's so successful. Every viewer has a different favourite and that just shows that it has something for everyone. If you need some uplifting, watch it, it will easily cheer you up.
5. The L Word
Okay so I might be being a little bias here but honestly, this show is up there with the bests. The characterisation is head and shoulders above a lot of other shows I have watched as you're constantly too-ing and fro-ing about who you like and who you don't, which makes for excellent viewing.
It's a show that is basically centred completely around inter-personal relationships, albeit romantic, work-related or friendship based so it's very easy to relate to and constantly makes you laugh and makes you cry whilst you're contemplating whether you'd act the same as a certain character in a certain situation.
4. Lost Girl
What can I say about Lost Girl? It's my modern day Buffy and I love it for that. It's complete cheese and almost nods to the 90's-esque science fiction shows that we just don't get anymore but that's what it makes it so great! I'll give a brief synopsis as it might be one you haven't heard of, but I guarantee you, if you started it, you'd soon be hooked. It centres around Bo, a bisexual succubus who feeds on other people's energy. How does she "feed" on this energy you might wonder? Let's just say by connecting with them intimately, for now. But Bo isn't the only fae (demon-like creature) knocking about in the neighbourhood and she soon finds herself becoming a saviour of all the ones close to her, on a very frequent basis.
The characters are all so ridiculously likeable that even the "baddies" aren't really that menacing and it gives Lost Girl an innocent quality that really draws you in.
It's not a kid's show though by any means. Everyone fancies everyone else and it's hard to keep up with the love triangles from time-to-time. This element however makes it even more irresistible to watch as you inevitably ship your own favourite pairings. There's also a LOT of sex, so don't whack it on the telly one afternoon thinking it'll be suitable viewing for your little brother who likes all things supernatural… it won't be, trust me.
(Have you guessed that I like a bit of fantasy yet? I don't think it's too obvious, eh!)
3. American Horror Story
American Horror Story is probably the most unusual show that I have ever watched. Even more unusual given it's creepy subject matter that it was created by the man behind Glee, Ryan Murphy. First of all, what's unique about AHS is that across it's 3 seasons so far, it's had the same cast members but none of the same stories. Each season focusses on completely different plots but with the same style and feel as the last (as well as the same faces) - something we have never seen in television previously.
Being an avid horror movie fan already, the show combines all of the elements of horror without it being too unbearable to watch which works really well in a television format. It's eerie, but not too eerie. Gory, but not too gory. And it gets the balance just right.
The quality of the acting performances is probably the best thing about the whole show. Despite it not quite being number one on my list, I won't hesitate to admit that the actor's are far superior in this to anything else described here, which was surprising to me as I actually knew of none of the cast before I started watching. In Season 2 particularly, I was blown away by the depth the actor's put into their characters and the way they carried the dark material so well.
2. True Blood
This one was a shoe-in, it's simple; I freaking love vampires. Now I've only been an avid fan of True Blood for about a year and a half now as when I watched it when it first aired in the UK, I hated it. I think perhaps when I first watched it, I was certainly not expecting the adult, raunchy show that I got and as I was quite young, I was put off.
But a few years on and knowing what I was getting myself into, I decided to give it another try. I loved it. Quite simply, if you're a fan of all things undead, you'll enjoy True Blood. It's completely vampire-indulgent with over half the lead characters being a fanged beauty, and then you've got the rest who are mainly shape-shifters, clairvoyants and fairies! If you like fantasy and sexual tension, with some surprisingly great story lines thrown in, it's for you.
1. Grey's Anatomy
And then there's the top spot. The number one. The best programme I have personally ever watched, and that's medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Coming up to the end of it's 10th season, it's by far the longest running show on this list and just proves it's quality. I was 14 when I started and now I'm 23, so you could say I've grown up with it. Grown up with the characters and knowing their stories. When you've been watching a television show for that long, you really do feel like you know the people in them and that makes it incredibly difficult to just give up watching. Can you miss fictional characters?! Can you?!
But it's not just the personal connection that holds Grey's so dear to my heart, but it's brilliance as a piece of television. No other show has ever made me laugh, made me cry, made me melt or even make me wince like Grey's Anatomy. It doesn't need a genre, as it truly covers them all. There is drama like you wouldn't believe, a surprising amount of humour for a sometimes very serious show and a cast with undeniable chemistry. The crazy cases are just an additional reason why, if you haven't, you should give this programme a try. In the past decade we've seen a pregnant man, a plane crash, a bomb inside someone and a icicle impaling, and that's only a handful of the drama you could expect.
What would you put in your Top 10? I'd love to know! Leave a comment :)
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