Binge watching is the latest and greatest way to digest your favorite TV shows all in one sitting, or several days, depending on the length of the series. With the advent of streaming, most channels offer their own app to stream programming from that station. Everybody wants a piece of the binge watcher. There is only so much time; however, and bingeing is very time consuming. Here are the top five shows, fit for big time bingeing:
Lost
Lost took on a life of its own when it aired in 2004. Each season got more complex, with chance meetings (or was it fate?) between the characters and how their lives intertwined. Once they started doing the time travel, it was nearly impossible to conceptualize. Theories abounded, and in the end, most were wrong. Watching Lost from beginning to end is about the only way to understand just what was going on. First the smoke monster – the Dharma Project – Jacob…the pieces fit together in the end, but a second look will probably make things clearer.
Six Feet Under
An early HBO series, SFU was about a family after they lost their father. The business that he left them is not as run of the mill, though. They owned and lived in a funeral home. The first season started off with the father’s death, and each subsequent episode also started with a death – that of the client of the week. That is no indication that the father’s part was limited to that first show, it was perfectly normal for the dead to appear to the attuned family members. A bit morbid, perhaps, but you feel for each of the characters and how they deal with the loss. You also learn a bit about embalming. If you like things a little creepy, a little funny, and a little touching, SFU is for you. One of the most perfectly wrapped up shows I’ve ever seen.
Arrested Development
Another series centered around a particular family, but this one lost their prosperous business early in the series. Hilarity ensued, with some of the best deadpan comedy I’ve seen. The twists and turns in this one will keep surprising you, and the quirky characters will draw you in. The series was so popular when it was on regular TV that people called for it to go on, and Amazon.com obliged. There’s something to be said for a show so good people just couldn’t let it go.
House of Cards
This is a drama, only a play based on our political system. The frightening thing about it is how close it is really to reality? Kevin Spacy leads the cast of intense players in powerful positions of the Federal government. After the first season or two, as his career advances, his wife is adjusting her own success to coincide with the devilry of her politician husband. If you can follow the fast dialogue (much like trying to follow The West Wing a decade earlier), House of Cards is a highly entertaining thriller.
Breaking Bad
Love it or hate it, everyone knows Breaking Bad. Walter White/Heisenberg permeated pop culture during the last few seasons. Not since Tony Soprano have so many known a single character, whether they watched or not. And for good reason. Breaking Bad is an artistic piece of literature, with a nearly perfect story arc and character development that unfolds and grabs you. The violence is an inherent aspect of the story, so even if you’re not inclined to watch shoot ‘em ups, the violence itself adds texture to the story telling. Always surprising, you won’t be able to anticipate how they possibly could survive the situations they find themselves in. It has humor, drama, and thrills, something for everyone.
Whats Next
These are a select few suggestions from hundreds of choices. When you’re ready for some serious bingeing, consider these as your best bets. Netflix, Amazon, Hulu… all the streaming services are happy to make suggestions based on what you like, so it goes from here. Get the popcorn!
