It's the middle of Winter, and there isn't much to do and very little mounts of energy to brave the cold and the weather to get out of your warm and comfy home. This is arguably the best time to catch up on your shows and the movies you might have missed. Watching TV shows can be a fun way to pass the time in the winter, and can be used as a reward for getting your work done or at least something to look forward to on a nightly basis. After spending almost six years in higher education in a city where the weather simply cannot be predicted, I have watched a lot of shows that have helped make the winter seem a bit more bearable. Here are 10 suggestions for shows for you to start to binge watch this winter and throughout the rest of the semester.
1. Game of Thrones (HBO Now or Go)
If you haven't already watched this or at least heard of this show, you might be living under a rock. But seriously, it is one of the best TV shows simply because it is more like a movie and gets better and better with each season. There are six full seasons to watch and you have until the Summer this year until season seven starts, so you have some time to finish them all. Yes it is a fantasy show and has dragons and sword fighting, but the politics of it can be just as interesting and you will not want to stop watching.
2. Arrested Development (Netflix)
One of the best comedy series out there, this show is about a dysfunctional family. The plus side is that it was recently "revived" and there is still hope that a fifth season is in the works through Netflix so bingeing this show is really just preparing you for the next new season, whenever that may come out. 3. House of Cards (Netflix)
3. House of Cards (Netflix)
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One of the first Netflix original shows, Kevin Spacey is fantastic as the plotting and cunning majority whip turned president in this political drama. The conflicts with Russia and internally with his own party are even more relevant now than they were when the show first started in 2013. Plus, it was recently announced that Season 5 will come out on May 30th, 2017 so again, you can catch up with all of the series in time for the new season to start.
4. Sherlock (Netflix and PBS)
Just coming off it's fourth season, the show is a modern update of the classic mystery series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Despite the large breaks between seasons, each episode is more like a mini movie which makes it possible for more complicated plots to occur and also shows in the production value and the visuals of the show. While unclear if it will have a fifth season, the first few seasons are worth watching for the wit of the writing and the modern take on the classic characters for the 21st century.
5. The Office (Netflix)
[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2017%2F01%2F11%2F6361976283755147481651888356_giphy%2520%284%29.gif&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=810&h=e16b7a4ecfc2a32521116f2d1437d293a6e0c2354c1e4dfbf6ba9e2c157aef6b&size=980x&c=4239913364 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Ffiles%252F2017%252F01%252F11%252F6361976283755147481651888356_giphy%252520%25284%2529.gif%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net%26s%3D810%26h%3De16b7a4ecfc2a32521116f2d1437d293a6e0c2354c1e4dfbf6ba9e2c157aef6b%26size%3D980x%26c%3D4239913364%22%7D" expand=1]An American modern classic comedy show, everyone should watch at least a few episodes of The Office at some point in their life. All seasons are available to binge, and it has plot lines throughout the seasons that will keep you hooked and watching two seasons a week.
6. Scrubs (Netflix)
Another great comedy show from the early 2000s that has multiple seasons to binge watch. It has the perfect mix of seriousness and laughs that makes a nice change from medical drama shows. Plus JD and Turk basically defined the term "bromance" for today's generation.
7. Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
Another Netflix original show and one of its most popular, it now has four seasons to binge on. Based on the true story of the main character Piper, the show gets better as it takes the focus away from her and shows the backstories about the other women and just how unfair the world and the justice system can be to women. While that might make it seem super serious, it's actually pretty hilarious at times too.
8. Doctor Who (Amazon Prime)
Though a science fiction show, the plots and stories are incredibly human. Not only does the show have a rich history as it is over 50 years old, it also has a massive fan base and is still going strong starting it's tenth season this year. Start it from the very beginning or from the 2005 revival, either way it's bound to keep you wanting more and busy throughout not only the winter but the rest of the semester.
9. Grey's Anatomy (Netflix)
Now in it's thirteenth season, Grey's Anatomy is a drama filled show that won't seem to end, but I'm okay with that because it's a great network show to look forward to every Thursday night. You can't count on it to be a prestige drama, but it draws you in to the people and relationships in the early seasons and is a great binge watching show because of its massive amount of episodes. Yes, it is a medical drama show, but it still is a good binge.
10. Mad Men (Netflix)
One of my favorite shows, it is about the advertising business in the 1950s and 60s in New York City. I don't know why, since at some times it can feel dry, but it hooks you into the characters lives and the mystery of Don Draper and who exactly he is and what his motivations are. It's also just fun to see the sets and costumes and is a good reminder of how not to romanticize the past, since the women aren't really treated fairly at home or in the business world and is something to continue to strive for today. It's a modern classic and I still wish that it was on TV.
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