Favorite TV Shows
Before I get into this post ... I have not always been a "TV show watcher." My entire childhood-into-adulthood, our family did not have "television." Don't hear me wrong ... we HAD a television. We only used it for watching movies on the weekends. (Some of my favorite memories ... Friday nights, loading up in the car to drive to Vision Video with mom and dad to pick out a few movies, popcorn, and a special snack for Friday + Saturday evenings. Ahhh. Bliss.)
That being said, I'm still "new" to the TV show game. When Justin and I got married, one of the first things Justin did was pick out our internet and (yes) TV provider. We also have Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. I still am not obsessed with searching for new shows to watch, but have really enjoyed finding a few that I love.
I wanted to share a very short list of my favorite shows, starting with what I consider the best ... down to what I still consider very good.
1. Sherlock (BBC) // Whether you have read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes Collection or not... THIS SHOW. It's Sherlock + Watson at 221B Baker Street ... just modern-day. Surprisingly, I was okay with that. This show is 100% the BEST interpretation of Doyle's work I've ever seen on-screen. They are so clever with the writing, making sure it doesn't deviate too far from the original works. If you haven't watched this ... make time. After all, all four seasons only have THREE episodes per season. Easy! It's smart. It's British. It's worth it.
2. Stranger Things (Netflix) // This show could easily be tied with Sherlock as my favorite show. What can I say to make you watch ST? 80's. Supernatural. Small-town. Another dimension. Mystery. Humor. Kids playing the lead roles. COME ON. Season one starts with a young boy vanishing. His mother and brother, friends, and the police begin searching for him and for answers. A secret lab ... government experiments ... is the missing child actually alive? If you make it to episode two without getting hooked, then I won't insist you watch it. But seriously. I think you will.
3. The Blacklist // The Blacklist was actually recommended to Justin and me by my boss and friend, Dot. We were hooked from the first episode. So so good. The number one criminal on the FBI's most-wanted list has just turned himself in. He claims he has a blacklist of the "worst of the worst" that he's willing to take down with the help/resources of the FBI. Except there's one catch: he will only talk/work/deal with one specific person within the FBI.
4. The Mentalist // The "mentalist" in this show used to be a famous (fake) "psychic" until he taunted the wrong serial killer on national television. Now he's a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation: helping them with cases while he himself continues to search for Red John (the serial killer). I would say that the lead character in this show is very much like a modern-day Sherlock. He uses the power of deduction, reads people very easily, and can retrace any crime scene even with the barest of details. Great show.
5. The Punisher (Netflix) // If you don't really care for violence, this show is not for you. This Marvel Comics character is brought to life in this Netflix series. A former marine trusts wrong people. He's betrayed. They murder his family. He decides to use his anger, revenge, and skills to "punish" the people responsible. Not only that ... he becomes a vigilante and "punisher" of any and all wrong-doings he finds out about. All in all, you don't want this guy as your enemy. The sad thing is that there are only two seasons, and they aren't making any more. #Sadness
6. Downton Abbey // Totally different from all the other shows I watch, but still fantastic. The entire show is about the Crawley family in the early 20th century. There's a lot of drama both in the family as well as "below stairs." Things are changing in the world: advancement in technology and inventions, women's rights, and ... the "old ways" of running a large estate are coming to an end. It's time to look to the future. Also ... a Downton Abbey movie just came out as a follow-up to the show!
7. Leverage // I like to think of Leverage as a cross between Ocean's Eleven and Robin Hood. Four professionals are brought in for a job (a hacker, a thief, a hitter, and the mastermind). Once the job is complete, the person who hires them doesn't pay and betrays them. They decide to take revenge and pull "this one job" together to get back at their former "boss." They add a grifter to their team and get to work. Well ... they said they were only going to work with each other for one more job ... but ... they kind of work well together, right!? The rest of the show is much of the same. Different jobs they take, offering justice for the underdog who was robbed. So they steal back from the rich and corrupt to give back to the "poor" (or the wronged). It's a funny, light show that I really enjoyed.
8. Survivor // Note: the newest Survivor season just started (9/25/19)!!! Whoo-hoo! I think this is the only show that Justin and I watch religiously that's a "reality TV show." I'm pretty sure I don't have to describe this show, but in a nutshell: a certain number of people from different areas of life are divided into teams, stranded on an island with just the clothes on their backs, and they have to survive. There are challenges to win supplies and advantages, immunity idols, and twists and turns! There are three components to the game of Survivor: outwit, outplay, and outlast. It's a social, physical, and metal game. The sole survivor wins a million dollars.
9. White Collar // Finally ... White Collar. It's a good, easy show to watch. A white collar criminal and conman is caught by an FBI agent who's been after him for years. After being caught, he offers his services to the FBI to help them catch other white collar criminals and con artists. So ... the guy who caught him agrees and he becomes his criminal informant. The conman-turned-informant must wear an ankle bracelet, abide by the rules, and work very closely every day with his captor's FBI team. They have an agreement for the number of years he can work until he earns his freedom. One of the main reasons I like the show is that it's very much like the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. (They also made a movie about that true story ... Catch Me If You Can).
Well, there you have it! My short, sweet list of favorite shows ... and I'm sure I wasn't informing anyone about how great they are! There are so many TV shows out there, it's overwhelming. I can safely say that I recommend any of these, though. Maybe I will return with more at a later date! Until then ... give any of these a shot!
That being said, I'm still "new" to the TV show game. When Justin and I got married, one of the first things Justin did was pick out our internet and (yes) TV provider. We also have Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. I still am not obsessed with searching for new shows to watch, but have really enjoyed finding a few that I love.
I wanted to share a very short list of my favorite shows, starting with what I consider the best ... down to what I still consider very good.
1. Sherlock (BBC) // Whether you have read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes Collection or not... THIS SHOW. It's Sherlock + Watson at 221B Baker Street ... just modern-day. Surprisingly, I was okay with that. This show is 100% the BEST interpretation of Doyle's work I've ever seen on-screen. They are so clever with the writing, making sure it doesn't deviate too far from the original works. If you haven't watched this ... make time. After all, all four seasons only have THREE episodes per season. Easy! It's smart. It's British. It's worth it.
2. Stranger Things (Netflix) // This show could easily be tied with Sherlock as my favorite show. What can I say to make you watch ST? 80's. Supernatural. Small-town. Another dimension. Mystery. Humor. Kids playing the lead roles. COME ON. Season one starts with a young boy vanishing. His mother and brother, friends, and the police begin searching for him and for answers. A secret lab ... government experiments ... is the missing child actually alive? If you make it to episode two without getting hooked, then I won't insist you watch it. But seriously. I think you will.
3. The Blacklist // The Blacklist was actually recommended to Justin and me by my boss and friend, Dot. We were hooked from the first episode. So so good. The number one criminal on the FBI's most-wanted list has just turned himself in. He claims he has a blacklist of the "worst of the worst" that he's willing to take down with the help/resources of the FBI. Except there's one catch: he will only talk/work/deal with one specific person within the FBI.
4. The Mentalist // The "mentalist" in this show used to be a famous (fake) "psychic" until he taunted the wrong serial killer on national television. Now he's a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation: helping them with cases while he himself continues to search for Red John (the serial killer). I would say that the lead character in this show is very much like a modern-day Sherlock. He uses the power of deduction, reads people very easily, and can retrace any crime scene even with the barest of details. Great show.
5. The Punisher (Netflix) // If you don't really care for violence, this show is not for you. This Marvel Comics character is brought to life in this Netflix series. A former marine trusts wrong people. He's betrayed. They murder his family. He decides to use his anger, revenge, and skills to "punish" the people responsible. Not only that ... he becomes a vigilante and "punisher" of any and all wrong-doings he finds out about. All in all, you don't want this guy as your enemy. The sad thing is that there are only two seasons, and they aren't making any more. #Sadness
6. Downton Abbey // Totally different from all the other shows I watch, but still fantastic. The entire show is about the Crawley family in the early 20th century. There's a lot of drama both in the family as well as "below stairs." Things are changing in the world: advancement in technology and inventions, women's rights, and ... the "old ways" of running a large estate are coming to an end. It's time to look to the future. Also ... a Downton Abbey movie just came out as a follow-up to the show!
7. Leverage // I like to think of Leverage as a cross between Ocean's Eleven and Robin Hood. Four professionals are brought in for a job (a hacker, a thief, a hitter, and the mastermind). Once the job is complete, the person who hires them doesn't pay and betrays them. They decide to take revenge and pull "this one job" together to get back at their former "boss." They add a grifter to their team and get to work. Well ... they said they were only going to work with each other for one more job ... but ... they kind of work well together, right!? The rest of the show is much of the same. Different jobs they take, offering justice for the underdog who was robbed. So they steal back from the rich and corrupt to give back to the "poor" (or the wronged). It's a funny, light show that I really enjoyed.
8. Survivor // Note: the newest Survivor season just started (9/25/19)!!! Whoo-hoo! I think this is the only show that Justin and I watch religiously that's a "reality TV show." I'm pretty sure I don't have to describe this show, but in a nutshell: a certain number of people from different areas of life are divided into teams, stranded on an island with just the clothes on their backs, and they have to survive. There are challenges to win supplies and advantages, immunity idols, and twists and turns! There are three components to the game of Survivor: outwit, outplay, and outlast. It's a social, physical, and metal game. The sole survivor wins a million dollars.
9. White Collar // Finally ... White Collar. It's a good, easy show to watch. A white collar criminal and conman is caught by an FBI agent who's been after him for years. After being caught, he offers his services to the FBI to help them catch other white collar criminals and con artists. So ... the guy who caught him agrees and he becomes his criminal informant. The conman-turned-informant must wear an ankle bracelet, abide by the rules, and work very closely every day with his captor's FBI team. They have an agreement for the number of years he can work until he earns his freedom. One of the main reasons I like the show is that it's very much like the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. (They also made a movie about that true story ... Catch Me If You Can).
So glad I was able to suggest a winner to you! Gotta give a shout-out to Rut, though. It's really his show. I'm just along for the weekly ride. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, we definitely thank both of you because we LOVE it!
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