10 Shows to Binge Watch During Summer Break

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Every year I would look at the season finale season as a dark time. It meant plunging into months of no new shows and missing my favorite characters. But these days, I approach season finale season with excitement. It means I can plan months of discovering new shows to occupy my time!

During the year, I use and abuse my DVR. And while there may be some shows I will record, summer for me means NETFLIX. I train all year for my time to binge watch. Here are 10 shows I’m considering for this summer:

Comedy

I’m in a major comedy mood – I’m looking for sitcoms and short comedic bursts to help me get ready in the morning, enjoy while I’m eating lunch, and end my day with a laugh.

• The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Created by Tina Fey and starring Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt who is one of 4 women rescued from an underground bunker where she was held as part of a doomsday cult. When I describe this, several give me a look of “and how is this comedy?”. Trust me!
• Portlandia – dry, sarcastic sketch comedy primarily poking fun at the insanity of Portland culture. I’ve seen many of the sketches online, and I love a good parody.
• Parks and Recreation – When this Amy Poehler-led comedy hit at the height of the beloved “The Office”, I tuned in and quickly lost interest. Everyone else said the second season was completely different, and it became beloved among my people. I do love Amy Poehler and Aziz Ansari. I’m willing to give it another shot.

Sports

I am a sucker for a good sports theme. I listen to sports talk radio, I read blogs about my favorite teams, I study superstitions, and I have memorized “Rudy”. So I get a kick out of inspirational sports shows, and I love poking fun at the obsession with the game.

• The League – 5 guys in their 30s running a long-time fantasy football league, going to extreme lengths that interrupt their everyday lives. It’s “semi-improvisational” and full of highly inappropriate and adult one-liners. I want to watch with my husband.
• ESPN 30 for 30 – These are documentaries of some of the biggest, often inspirational, stories of the sports world. Even my non-sporty friends find these interesting. Try just one (might I suggest this one) and you’ll be hooked.

British

Because I succumbed to the Downton Abbey craze. If you have not watched Downton, start here. From there, join me in diving into these other series from across the pond. Not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that British shows have shorter seasons.

• Call the Midwife – following the lives of a group of Midwives serving London’s poor in the 1950s and 1960s. British TV is so beautifully shot, and their period pieces are full of attentive detail. I can’t wait to watch this type of content during a period so full of change.
• Sherlock – What can I say? As someone that 1) loves a good mystery, 2) loves the heck out of crime drama and 3) curious what the big deal is with Benedict Cumberbatch, I’m taking multiple recommendations and giving it a shot.

Drama

My one true love. TNT Knows Drama, and so do I. I’ve scaled back a lot over the years when it comes to crime drama simply because I tend to get weighed down. But as someone who still watches Grey’s Anatomy, I look forward to nighttime soap.

• The Killing – crime drama that mainly focuses on one crime. I don’t know much about it, only raves from those that have seen it.
• Freaks and Geeks – how many of today’s stars are featured in this one-season treasure from my beloved Judd Apatow? Jason Segal, Busy Phillips, Seth Rogen, Linda Cardellini just to name a few. Technically a dramedy, the story of this series reminds me of My So-Called Life. Which I still mourn, everyday, 21 years later.

So, what will you be watching this summer?!

Please note I have already seen Breaking Bad, House of Cards, Lost, Mad Men, West Wing, Gilmore Girls, and 30 Rock. I highly recommend them all if they are on your list. I refuse to watch Scandal because I’m tired of being emotionally traumatized by Shonda Rhimes.

Originally posted on May 22, 2015