It's no secret that I have a talent for binging shows like they are going out of fashion, during blogmas I did a post where I compiled a heap of Netflix Originals to Binge (click here for that) however I thought I would branch out a little and share with you all a collection of both Netflix originals and other TV shows that I love to watch. This was inspired by binging Sophie Foster's Netflix shows to watch YouTube videos and somehow being lead to spend about two hours just watching random girls on the internet talking about the shows they liked or have been watching.
1) The Carrie Diaries
Before there was sex, before there was the city there was Carrie Fisher and her dreams of working in the big city. This is the spin off series from Sex and the City which was more aimed towards the teen audience in comparison to the more adult audience of the original show. Packed with a killer cast (AnnaSophia Robb and Austin Butler) and some hard hitting and relevant themes this show is honestly everything and I have binged it several times now, I'm just upset that it got cancelled to be honest.
2) Friends
If you haven't watched this at least once then you have probably been living under a rock for the past two decades. This show is a timeless classic and will always remind me of being a kid and curling up in bed with my mum on a Sunday morning and watching it with her. My personal favourite episode is the one where Ross dresses as a 'holiday armadillo'!
3) Skins (UK)
Despite the fact that I watched this when I was about 12 (and almost definitely shouldn't have due to a lot of the hard hitting themes affecting me when I was at a pretty impressionable age), this is the show that I will always love. Cassie and Sid, Effy and Freddie, Grace and Rich all manage to break my heart everytime I re-watch it.
4) Waterloo Road
This is British television at its best, honestly this show was a work of art and it annoys me that it doesn't get the recognition that it deserved. While there were some problematic storylines it really did deal with everything possible and there was never a dull day at Waterloo Road.
5) My Mad Fat Diary
Considering my step mum always goes on at me about how much 'American crap' I watch an awful lot of British TV. This is another throwback show, set in the 90's with an incredible series soundtrack because in reality 90's music is some of the best music. It is almost another form of skins but this time is based off a book by Rae Earl. You follow the protagonist Rae as she attempts to deal with her mental health after being discharged from hospital and finds her way in the world, strugging through friendships and relationships. This was such a refreshing show to watch.
6) How To Get Away With Murder
Honestly, I started watching this because I thought it would help me get away with discarding of my aint shit ex but shortly realised it wasn't going to do that, and then stuck with watching it due to the huge amounts of representation the show holds. This is quite a dark show with so many subplots and character backstories to immerse yourself into, it can get confusing at times but stick with it as everything is explained in the end.
7) The IT Crowd
Want a show like The Office that isn't the office? Here's my recommendation. This show follows the IT department of a company as they attempt to find their way through life, and yes they are fully grown men that are still finding their way through life.
8) Gossip Girl
I don't remember much about this anymore as it has been about three years since I binged it in the space of a month but I just remember completely throwing myself into the show and becoming so obsessed with it. I felt like I was one of the elite members of Blair Waldorf's clique and that I was experiencing it all with them. Gossip girl is filmed in the era of flip phones and alice bands - making me want to wear one everywhere but also having to remind myself they don't look anywhere near as good on me as they did on Blair.
9) Sherlock
I am the biggest Sherlock nerd to exist and even went to the cinema to see the finale of season four with a friend (which is probably one of the most extra things I have ever done). This programme is so bloody clever and I adore it, Benedict Cumberbatch portrays the role incredibly and if you are into crime dramas or psychological thrillers then this is one for you for sure.
10) Luther
Another crime drama, this is one I used as part of a case study within my AS Media exam and ended up falling in love with and watching way more than just the two episodes we were supposed to analyse. This show is awesome because you actually know who the killer is right from the beginning and then fall into this loop of trying to watch Luther work out who did it and why they did it. I recommend this so much.
11) How I Met Your Mother
Despite the kind of obvious ending I did fall in love with this show and became so invested in working out who the mother was. The cast are wonderful and each have such bold personality traits that you can't not fall in love with the show, Ted is a hopeless romantic who falls in love with anyone he passes in the streets and I can relate to that which is why I find it so funny. This is one of those shows you curl up and watch on a Sunday morning when you are fighting a hangover from the night before.
12) Suburgatory
This was one of those shows that I always turned to as a sense of comfort watching when I would have days off school because I was ill and daytime TV was somehow making me feel even worse. There was something so funny and stupid about it and it was such easy TV to watch that it was also one of those shows that I managed to have on in the background while I was doing other things to keep me somewhat entertained.
13) Fresh Meat
Jack Whitehall is the main reason I began to watch this on Netflix but I fell in love with the complex cast and hilarious storylines. This show follows a group of uni freshers (hence the name Fresh Meat) as they embark on their first years, they have all ended up in uni housing instead of halls and they are all probably more than likely to be classed as the odd ones out. There are four seasons which follow the 'gang' throughout their entire uni experience and I can promise you that by the end of the first season you will be so invested in how well they do that the next three seasons will rush by.
14) Gilmore Girls
When I worked at McDonalds a co-worker and I would be racing each other to see who could finish this first (safe to say I won) and gossip about what was happening on the show. If you can get past Rory being an entitled brat at numerous occasions throughout the show then you will probably love this show.
15) The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air
Who doesn't love Will Smith? This show is one of his greatest works due to how utterly stupid it is. It is another one of those shows that I remember curling up with my mum and watching when I was younger and so will always be a comfort show for me. The easy to follow plot and hiariously stupid storylines just make everything so good, not to mention the 80/90's fashion that is involved in this, we are talking balloon pants, and shoulder pads to name a few.
16) The 100
Based on a book this TV series is so bloody intense and has so many story arcs that it will leave you gripping to the edge of your seat and binging half a season in the space of a day (trust me, a friend and I have been there). Set in a dystopian future where the Earth has become uninhabitable due to a lack of clean oxygen the residents of the space ship called the Arc are suffering, their space is becoming just as uninhabitable as Earth became. The leaders make a decision to send a group of teens to 'the ground' and this show follows the teens lives as they attempt to live on the ground despite the vast amounts of curve balls that get thrown their way.
17) Broadchurch
I am a complete and utter sucker for a good crime drama and so when it came to finally watching Broadchurch I was not left disappointed. Despite the fact I was very cautious about David Tennant being in it due to me always being able to see him as The Doctor his acting skills completely blew me away and were on a complete other level with this show. It explores the death of a child which is initially cast off as a suicide but very quickly turned into a murder investigation, this show will have you throwing accusations about left right and centre.
18) Guilt
Murder and a crime drama? Yes please!
This show follows American college student who has moved to London as she becomes the key suspect within the murder case of one of her closest friends. It is probably one of the most gripping shows that I've watched in the past few months and I loved the layers of the characters and the plot twists that seemed to keep coming.
19) The Affair
I mentioned to a friend that I had watched this when she was asking for TV show suggestions and her response was 'of course you've watched that' and I think that explains how much my go to genre of TV show this is. It is laced with flashbacks and various layers of stories which build up to a bigger picture in the end. There are currently three seasons out and it has just been picked up for a fourth, I am so excited for it and definitely suggest more people get on the hype for this show!
20) Girl Boss
I don't really know quite what I was expecting from this show but it definitely gave me a lot more than I was looking for. This somewhat autobiographical TV series comes from the wondrous Netflix creators who are always churning out some amazing shows. I love anything with a female lead and watching how Nasty Gal rose to the such a well known brand is incredible to me, I got so into this and finished it in two days at the most.
21) The Confession Tapes
My love for crime meant that I basically devoured this show, it explores the ways in which people who are innocent are lead to confess for their 'crimes'. There are so many conspiracies throughout it all and it really leaves you wondering how the criminal justice system really is a justice system and whether half the people that get locked up for crimes actually committed them. This is the perfect show for you if you enjoyed the Amanda Knox documentary that netflix released.
22) The Vampire Diaries
If you love cute guys and anything supernatural then this one is surely for you. Based on the book series that came before it which was initially Elena (one of the protagonists) diary entries this show is full of drama, sex and scandal. If you can deal with having your heart wrenched out over the fact that your favourite character has died to then have to come to terms with the fact that your heartbreak was for no reason because they faked their death then this is for you. Just a pre-warning though: you will probably become incredibly emotionally invested within this show.
23) Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Right, hear me out here. I love watching overly privileged people live their lives and complain about stupid things, it somehow puts my issues into perspective and makes me laugh about how much these kinds of people take for granted. I mean, there's an episode where Kim loses a diamond earring in the ocean and she goes off in a strop for Kourtney to yell at her that 'there are people dying' which will always make me laugh. However, the show also deals with some hard hitting issues that the family face, for example Caitlyn Jenner's transition and the fact that Khloe was pretty much infertile. It holds reminders that celebrity families are just as real as normal families but is also hilarious too.
24) Community
Based in a community college a group of people come together to create the most unlikely study group known to man to ensure that they pass their education. I love Donald Glover so much and community is where my love for him comes from due to how insanely funny his character is. You have so many good moments in this show and I think I've binged it entirely about three times now, it was one of those shows that never gets old and somehow managed to get funnier every time you watch it.
25) The Tomorrow People (US)
If you love anything kind of supernatural or sci-fi then this is one for you, it follows a group of people who have developed superpowers including telekinesis and teleportation as they are being hunted down by a group of bad guys. There was unfortunately only one season of this, but it is so worth giving a watch.
26) Cuckoo
This is one of the best and worst shows to have ever existed on British TV due to how obscenely stupid it was and providing yet another example of British TV at its finest. It's based around a family where the daughter has been off travelling and returns from Thailand with a husband much to the rest of her family's shock (and he even starts a baked potato business out the back of his van). The show is nuts and yet so easy to binge and just makes me laugh a lot when I need some form of feel good show.
27) Bad Education
My Jack Whitehall loving heart loves this show, he is probably one of my favourite comedians (besides Trevor Noah) and the fact he managed to write and star in a TV series is something that is hugely cool. I love this show and every now and then when I can't sleep I will just put it on and have a good laugh.
28) The Office (UK)
I've only ever watched the British version so I cannot give you any opinion on whether The Office US or UK are better but I can tell you that I love this version. Growing up watching comedy shows like this with my step dad lead me to have a strange love for this kind of show and it's honestly so funny. I'm pretty sure both versions of it follow the same kind of premise and plot line meaning you probably only need to watch one or the other however I am almost defnietly going to end up binging the US version soon too!
29) In The Flesh
Want a show about the world post zombie apocalypse? I've got just the one for you, set after 'The Rising' which is what the show has created as their take on the idea of a zombie apocalypse. This supernatural drama explores the way that the reactions from the residents of the village that the rehabilitated undead return to in the attempts of creating a life for themselves again. It's a wonderful show and Keaton Henson did a lot of work on the soundtrack for it which just makes it even better in my opinion.
30) Doctor Foster
She thinks that her husband is having an affair and so she begins to investigate, she becomes completely emotionally invested in it and ends up going a little insane. Doctor Foster is one the the best things to come out of the BBC in years and I adore it.
31) Teen Wolf
I don't think I've ever torn through a TV series as fast as I tore through this, I love Dylan O'Brien and I also love Tyler Posey so this show is a winner for me to be honest. If you love anything supernatural then this is one for you, you get werewolves, you get dread doctors, you get banshees and many more supernatural beings. I love it and the storylines - though prepare to become completely emotionally invested and have your heart ripped out as a result at several times.
32) Riverdale
This is probably one of the most problematic and trashy shows on Netflix and yet I still can't get enough of it? Someone please explain to me how that works because I am failing to understand. It started off good, don't get me wrong but the second season seems as though everyone is on crack yet nevertheless it is still a very binge worthy show and gets your heart racing at some points. It's kind of like Pretty Little Liars in the sense that none of this stuff makes sense but the producers still decide that it will make quality TV.
33) A Series Of Unfortunate Events
It's coming back for a second season in March and if that isn't a good enough reason to begin to binge all of season one again then I don't know what is. This is based off the books by Lemony Snicket and while it has some very dark themes it is generally just such a good watch. This is another show with Neil Patrick Harris in (sometimes I did find it hard to take Count Olaf seriously considering he was Barney in How I Met Your Mother and the characters are so different) and it also has cameos from Cobie Smulders which I hope lead to her having a full character in the new series!
34) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
A total feel good pile of 'American crud' as my parents would chose describe it. So easy to binge and just makes you laugh and wonder how anyone could be as naive as the protagonist is, also the theme tune will 100% end up being stuck in your head for a good week after you watch it!
35) American Vandal
I spent about three episodes trying to work out whether this show was a work of fiction or actually based off of something realistic but it is in fact fiction, and a complete spoof of the kind of crime documentaries that are already on Netflix. This show is hilarious but sometimes a bit tedious and can be binged in the space of a day pretty easily.
36) The End of the F***ing World
While it admittedly wasn't as good as everyone seemed to make it out to be (I'm looking at you, Nathan Zed) it was a very easy to binge show that did leave me questioning my beliefs and what I stood for. Each episode was about 20 minutes and there were only eight episodes so you can go ahead and do the math of how easy that was to binge for me, the queen of hiding away and binging shows. Also, a quick shoutout goes to whoever curated the shows soundtrack because man that was a highlight in my opinion!
37) Ja'mie: Private School Girl
Does anyone else remember how crazily ridiculous this show was? It's an Australian comedy series written by Chris Lilley (who also stars as Ja'mie) who is the most extra, demanding and annoying (but hilarious) character you will ever come across. The show follows Ja'mie through her final weeks at high school and explores a lot of stupid themes in the form of a mockumentary. If you haven't watched this before then this is for sure a must!
38) Parks and Recreation
Parks and Rec is another mockumentary style show, this one is seven seasons long in comparison to the singular season we were given of Ja'mie and focuses on Leslie Knope and her life. This show is absolutely hilarious and I still have all the episodes on record back at home in England so I can curl up and watch them on sick days.
39) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
I'm a complete lowkey Marvel geek (to the point I went to the midnight screening of Guardians of the Galaxy 2) and so when this show started to get aired on British TV I was so excited. A friend and I had been watching it online for a couple of weeks and to be able to actually watch it on a decent screen in decent quality was a blessing to say the least. I love this show as it is so full of complex characters as well as superheroes and has cameos and references to so many incredible members of the Marvel cinematic universe. If you are into anything Marvel then give this a go, and even if you aren't then give this a go as it is awesome.
40) Glee
Whenever I am singing along to an old song in the car with my dad and he asks me how I know it my answer is this TV show. It follows the Glee club of a high school as they battle the heirarchey of teenagerhood as well as trying to follow their beliefs and do what they enjoy. Though incredibly problematic at times this show does have huge amounts of representation for so many minorities and paints every character to be so strong and set in their beliefs. If you want some banging glee club covers of incredible songs and to be able to find some new tunes that you might just love then this is the show for you.
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