Eye-Catching Shows  

artwork by Andrew Villescas

Ten television shows that will change your life.

All students battle boredom at times, and many are constantly searching for something to do. Fortunately, binge-watching can provide a glorious solution to boredom. Binge-watching is defined as the act of watching multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession. According to many Thomas Jefferson students, the top ten binge-watching shows are:

• Modern Family: Leading the pack, Modern Family has been raved upon for being a hilarious family comedy. First airing in September of 2009, the mockumentary now has seven seasons featuring the lives of Jay Pritchett and his family, all of whom live in suburban Los Angeles.
• The Office: The Office has a similar light-hearted feeling and mockumentary style as Modern Family and has earned a great deal of popularity since premiering. The show follows the everyday lives of the office employees in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and is perceived as a laugh-out-loud, goofy comedy.
• Parks and Recreation: Known simply as “Parks and Rec” by fans, this show also has a mockumentary style and through the life of a mid-level bureaucrat in an Indiana Parks and Recreation Department, the inner workings of the department are revealed in the humorous television show.
• How I Met Your Mother: HIMYM has often believed to have stemmed from the famous show Friends and has gained a cult following over the years as it follows Ted Mosby and his friends in Manhattan, New York. In the year 2030, Ted tells his children of the journey in finding their mother. 
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Known more commonly as “It’s Always Sunny,” the ten-season sitcom captures the lives of four average individuals who own a pub, and always seem to get themselves into precarious positions through their stupidity and pursuit of the American Dream.
• Grey’s Anatomy: From pubs to hospitals, the long-time series Grey’s Anatomy focuses on the fictional lives of surgical interns and residents as they become doctors and try to maintain personal lives and relationships in this medical drama. Junior and avid television watcher Amber Mosley heartily stated, “Grey’s Anatomy put me through a rollercoaster of emotions.”
• Orange Is The New Black: Following the dramatic flare, Orange Is The New Black focuses on main character Piper Chapman, who is sentenced to 15 months in prison and viewers follow her experience in this surprisingly raunchy comedy. This show is particularly popular amongst binge-watchers because Netflix releases an entire season once a year, which allows fans to marathon each season as fast as they can.
• Breaking Bad: Breaking Bad launches into the darker path of selling drugs, specifically methamphetamine. As a struggling high school chemistry teacher, Walter White is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and attempts to provide for his family in this acclaimed crime drama.
• The Walking Dead: The Walking Dead follows a sheriff who awakens from a coma and reunites with his family as they struggle to survive in and adapt to a world filled not only with dangerous zombies, but humans who will do anything to survive.
• American Horror Story: The goosebumps and chills continue with American Horror Story, an anthology horror television series that contains a new twisted plot in each season. The newest season, season 5, centers around Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, California, that catches the eye of a homicide detective.

There are many ways to watch favorite shows, debatably the most common being Netflix, which allows people to stream both movies and television shows to any device. Creating its own ‘Netflix Originals,’ the company has provided many critically acclaimed series. Such series include Jessica Jones, Daredevil, House of Cards, and Hemlock Grove. Netflix also hosts hundreds of other TV shows, like 30 Rock. 30 Rock centers on a young Liz Lemon, the head writer for a live sketch-comedy show in New York and the complications that arise throughout the job. When looking for some great classics to watch, Netflix also has Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Friends, Law and Order, That 70s Show, and many more to fulfill every want. Other companies such as Hulu and Amazon offer the ability to stream and watch several movies and television shows as well.

As the television industry continues to expand, there are many options of what to watch. For those interested in finding a new series, pursue these Spartan recommendations!