My goal for this list was to include an eclectic mix of shows that would hit on different genres and time periods, and hopefully introduce you to shows that you wouldn't otherwise watch. I also wanted to focus on series that are significant, in a historic sense, to the modern landscape of television. This isn't necessarily the ten best shows you should binge watch; because really, that would just end up being a list of the ten best shows ever. Most of the shows on this list certainly could fit this criteria, but not all of them. And really, this is more about the shows out there that are still entertaining and digestible when viewed four or six episodes at a time, which doesn't necessarily apply to series like The Wire or Mad Men.
The format is simple. A short(ish) blurb about the show- including a general overview, and facts and commentary about its original run and why it matters as a television show. I’ll also list which major streaming service each show is available on. Of course, we all know that binge watching requires a significant commitment of free time, time that you'll never get back. With that in mind, I'll also be including the potential downside to binge watching all of these shows, so you can decide for yourself if it's worth it. Finally, for each show on this list, I'll recommend another show to watch that's similar in an important way, though this doesn't necessarily mean it's from the same genre.
If you'd like to tell me how wrong (or right!) I am about my list, you can put me on blast on Twitter @garrettweets, or e-mail me at garrettwrites2@gmail.com
11) Serial (honorable mention)
- Sure, it's not a TV show, but what can I say? Serial is really good. The podcast spin-off to This American Life became a cultural phenomenon in 2014, with millions tuning in each week to listen to Sarah Koenig’s weekly narration of her investigation into the unsolved murder of Hae Min Lee. Unfortunately, Serial’s second season failed to recapture the magic of its first, when it took a look into the more current issue of former POW, Bowe Bergdahl. Nevertheless, Serial's broad, yet thorough examination of both sides of seemingly one-sided cases makes for great storytelling, and is a 'must listen' for those who love to delve into the minutiae.
- If you enjoy Serial, check out Netflix’s Making a Murderer. Similar to Serial, Making a Murderer took America by storm in late 2015, as it explored the wrongful conviction case of Manitowoc County’s Steven Avery.
10) Friday Night Lights (Netflix)
- Friday Night Lights was never the ratings darling like some of the other shows on this list, due mostly to a revolving door of time slots, and a close call with cancellation before getting picked up by DirectTV’s “The 101 Network.” However, throughout its five season run, Friday Night Lights garnered consistent critical praise, and positioned itself as more than just a high school soap, with its strong writing and character development.
- The downside: This might be a hard sell if you don’t care much for football; however, Friday Night Lights shines brightest off the field, when it uses the football season as a backdrop for each season’s storylines.
- If you enjoy Friday Night Lights, check out The O.C. It’s another early 2000s high school drama that managed to hit on occasional moments of greatness, especially during its well-received first season. Later seasons weren't quite as good as the first, but remained entertaining enough on an episode-per-episode basis, making them perfectly snack-able for binge watching.
9) Firefly (Netflix, Hulu Plus)
- Firefly is widely considered the best show to be cancelled before its time, which ironically makes it more popular than it ever would have been had it stayed on the air. Joss Whedon's follow-up to Buffy the Vampire Slayer sadly lasted just 11 episodes before Fox yanked it off the air. Firefly has lived on through a cult fan following, whose support eventually led to the creation of its motion picture spin-off, Serenity. Unlike the rest of the shows on this list, Firefly isn't typically what you would consider a "binge watch," due to its lack of total episodes. However, it's an important title within the television canon, and worth watching for anyone that considers themselves a tele-phile.
- The downside: Maybe more-so than some of these other shows, finishing Firefly will leave you with a strong feeling of emptiness. You’ll look wistfully towards your Netflix queue, only to realize that no matter how long you wait and hope, that next episode will never come. My advice: don’t get too attached to anything that doesn’t have a 5th season.
- If you enjoy Firefly, check out Freaks and Geeks. They couldn't be more different genre-wise, but if Firefly is the best show that was cancelled too soon, then Freaks and Geeks is the second best.
8) How I Met Your Mother (Netflix)
- It's easy to look at a show like How I Met Your Mother and disregard it as little more than a laugh track sitcom designed to hit 88 episodes, cash in on syndication, and spend the rest of its days on TBS from 4-6 pm. However, if you're smarter than the average TV fan (which, after reading this list, you will be), you'd know that How I Met Your Mother is much more than your typical weekday TBS fodder (for the record, its syndication rights belong to FX). How I Met Your Mother fashioned itself as a "fairy tale in reverse," with the narrator telling his kids the story of, well, how he met their mother. I wouldn’t necessarily call this ground breaking stuff, but what's impressive is how HIMYM was able to maintain the sitcom format's episodic nature, while also telling a series long story, with a surprisingly tight sense of continuity that rewarded fans who paid attention to the show's lore, week in and week out. Above all else, How I Met Your Mother was consistently charming, with an incredible comedic cast, featuring Jason Segal, Alyson Hannigan, and Neil Patrick Harris- who played the show's breakout character, Barney Stinson.
- The downside: How I Met Your Mother largely became a victim of its own success when it was forced to stretch out its "Who's the mother?" storyline into more seasons than its creators ever thought the show would get. The show suffered from a noticeable dip in quality around its sixth season, trading in its more nuanced humor for cheap laughs and physical gags, falling out of touch with what endeared itself to fans in the first place.
- It's hard to find a similar show worth recommending because the rom-com sitcom genre has largely been a wasteland of bad tropes and cheesy dialogue- part of what makes How I Met Your Mother stand out so much. Netflix recently put out Judd Apatow's Love to wide critical praise. Love navigates the pitfalls of its genre's stereotypes quite well, taking a "down-to-earth" look at the modern dating world.
7) Survivor (Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime)
- A strange choice for this list, I'll admit. Nowadays, all reality television gets lumped together into one ubiquitous Keeping Up With the Kardashians pile of "been there, done that." But it wasn't all that long ago that the television landscape was dominated by ratings juggernauts like American Idol and Survivor. Back in 2000, Survivor captured America's attention in a way no other show has since, averaging almost 30 million viewers per episode, with over 50 million tuning in for the season one finale. And while ratings have slowly declined throughout its 15+ year run (Survivor runs two seasons per year), a loyal core fan following remains, engaging with the show's rich history and strategic inner workings that belie its reality TV genre.
- The downside: There are a lot of episodes of Survivor. And I mean a lot. Like, almost 500 episodes spread out over 32 seasons a lot. In fact, most streaming sites don’t even carry every season. I could never, in good conscience, recommend a single human being consume over 20 days worth of people sitting around on a beach and fetching puzzle pieces from the ocean. Luckily, you don't need to watch every episode of Survivor to enjoy it. In fact, there are many fan sites out there, with lists of their own that offer a breakdown of which seasons give the best overview of the series, as a whole.
- If there's nothing more exciting to you than a member of the majority alliance getting blindsided at tribal council, then make sure to check out Big Brother, as well. The summer vacation to Survivor's school year, Big Brother might seem a little on the trashy side (and admittedly, sometimes it is), but its strategy runs deep (maybe even deeper than Survivor's), and because the show takes place in "real time" (episodes are filmed and aired within the same week, while eliminations are done live), CBS offers its unique Live Feeds that allow fans to peek into the Big Brother house at all hours of the day.
6) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Netflix, Hulu Plus)
- If the idea of an episodic sitcom, with delicately laid season long story arcs, isn't quite your cup of tea, then It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia might be your kind of show. FX's raunchy sitcom focuses on the one-off escapades of its dangerously self-obsessed main cast, and has been going strong for eleven seasons (with at least three more on the way), putting itself in rather rarefied air. No other live action, scripted American sitcom has lasted fourteen seasons since 1952's The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Not bad for a show that shot its pilot on a digital camcorder. It's Always Sunny made its mark by finding the subtle (and not so subtle) humor in its main characters' outrageously crass, and just crazy enough to believe, hijinks, ranging from exploiting the welfare system to starting a sweatshop.
- The downside: After hours and hours of watching these characters scheme, belittle, and ruthlessly take advantage of others, it can be hard to stay invested in a show with "protagonists" who are such terrible human beings. If you're the type of person who prefers a show that gives you someone to root for, you might find It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia to be a tough watch.
- If you enjoy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and would like to find something else in the same vein, check out another FX comedy, Archer, whose titular character is just as narcissistic as the Sunny gang, but in animated form. Archer focuses on members of an "elite" secret agent organization, crossing its early 60's spy motif with modern workplace humor and deep cut pop culture references.
5) Friends (Netflix)
- Since it was added to Netflix in 2015, Friends has become the binge of choice for a generation of millennials who missed out on the show’s original 10 year run. And while you’d think its episodic format wouldn’t lend itself well to the back-to-back-to-back viewing experience that modern audiences have grown accustomed to, let’s not forget that between 1994 and 2004, Friends was easily pulling 20 million viewers per episode, a number that’s almost unheard of by today’s standards.
- The downside: As I mentioned above, Friends episodes are fairly self-contained, with season long arcs only developed sparingly along the periphery of each week’s story. While this was commonplace back in the age of dial-up and VCRs, the lack of a cohesive, overarching storyline that current shows build their seasons around, might be a tough pill to swallow for some binge watchers.
- Before no one told you life was gonna be this way (clap clap clap clap), we all just wanted to get away (where everybody knows your name). If you enjoy the classic sitcom-y goodness of Friends, step back a decade further and check out Cheers. Cheers anchored NBC’s Thursday night lineup throughout the 80s before passing the torch on to Friends and its own spin-off, Frasier.
4) Breaking Bad (Netflix)
- By far the best show on this list in terms of critical acclaim. Breaking Bad is often referred to as one of the best shows of all-time, collecting numerous awards and setting cable viewership records throughout its five year run. In fact in 2014, the Guinness Book of World Records named it the highest rated show of all-time. Breaking Bad was praised for its thoughtful and gripping exploration of human morality, as well as for its main cast, headlined by Bryan Cranston (Walter White) and Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman). Along with Mad Men and The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad led the way for AMC's successful rebranding in the late 2000s- from classic movie channel to a producer of high quality original programming.
- The downside: So why is Breaking Bad lower on this list than you might expect? Well, as I mentioned in the intro, this isn't necessarily a ranking of the best shows ever. One of the things working against Breaking Bad? It can be a tough show to binge-watch just because of how relentlessly intense and dark it is. After three or four straight episodes of watching the bumbling dad from Malcolm in the Middle transform from high school chemistry teacher to ruthless criminal, it feels like you almost need to take a step back just to process what you've watched. However, because it's not a particularly long series (it lasted just five seasons for 62 episodes), these breaks function well in allowing you to savor every last drop.
- If you enjoy Breaking Bad, keep the good times rolling with its prequel series, Better Call Saul. Set 5 years before the events of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul explores the pre-Saul Goodman life of attorney, Jimmy McGill. Better Call Saul wrapped up its second season in early 2016, and was renewed for a third season shortly after.
3) The Office (Netflix)
- The Office existed in a weird time- when online streaming was just a way to catch-up on the last episode you missed live, rather than as a conduit for watching a year’s worth of television in one weekend. Because of this, it appears to cling to the same episodic format that was a staple for early 2000s sitcoms, but it’s unique mockumentary format and iconic “will they-won’t they” arc between Jim and Pam, helped The Office stand apart and usher in a new era of modern sitcoms. The Office would go on to propel Steve Carrell into the mainstream American conscience, as well as provide nice launch pads for the careers of Mindy Kaling and Ed Helms.
- The downside: The Office lasted nine seasons, but most fans will tell you this was two too many, as seasons eight and nine had to overextend themselves to compensate for the cast reshuffling that took place in season seven. These last two seasons have some special moments, but can be hard to get through, especially when compared to the show's creative peak in seasons four and five.
- If you enjoy The Office, check out Parks and Recreation. Parks was initially pitched as a spin-off to The Office, but ended up standing on its own, mimicking only The Office's workplace mockumentary style. After a terrible first season and okay second season, Parks really hit its stride in season three, when Rob Lowe and Adam Scott joined what was already an incredibly talented cast, featuring Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, and Chris Pratt. Parks and Recreation would go on to enjoy four more critically successful seasons, quietly surpassing The Office, in terms of quality, by the end of its run.
2) Lost (Netflix)
- A divisive choice for this list, especially considering how high I have it ranked, Lost was a series adored by many, but was often criticized for being overly confusing, and leaving some of its major mysteries unanswered by series end. This lack of a satisfying payoff became something of a calling card for Lost, leaving a bad taste with fans who had been following the show throughout its six year run. Now, why would I recommend such an abusive-sounding show to invest 100+ hours of your life in? It’s because even though we didn’t get all the answers, those six seasons were an amazing ride, with uniquely framed storytelling and compelling characters. Lost helped pave the way for many of the network dramas we enjoy today, by modernizing the notion of must-see, event TV. Lost was also responsible for launching one of its co-creators, J.J. Abrams, into director superstardom. Thanks to the success of Lost, Abrams would go on to direct the 2009 Star Trek reboot and its sequel, as well as the highest grossing movie of all-time, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
- The downside: I pretty much covered this, but Lost is probably going to leave you scratching your head at the lack of explanation for certain plot points that were built up over six seasons. Luckily, as a binge watcher, these mysteries will only string you along for a couple of weeks or so, rather than the grueling six years of water cooler talk and theorizing that fans, who watched live, had to endure.
- If you enjoy the mysteries and interconnectedness of Lost, then check out Once Upon a Time, created by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, two former Lost staff writers. The similarities between these two series are quite noticeable, particularly with the narrative use of flashbacks. There are also a handful of Lost alum who make appearances throughout the season, either in guest spots or even starring roles.
1) Game of Thrones (HBO Now, HBO Go)
- The granddaddy of them all. In this age of modern media, with the number of cable channels numbering in the hundreds, and streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime offering thousands of hours of shows and movies across multiple genres and tastes, the days of nearly everyone you know tuning into the same show on a consistent, weekly basis, are long gone. Game of Thrones, however, could be the one exception. An adaptation of George R.R. Martin's long-running fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones has been wowing audiences since 2011, with intricately woven storylines that take place within the context of the deep and well-realized lore of the beautiful kingdom of Westeros. Game of Thrones is able to hit that hard to find sweet spot of appealing to both its loyal book following, as well as a wider audience of casual fans. Which means, even if you're not a fantasy genre diehard, you'll still find stuff to like about television's number one show.
- The downside: Game of Thrones is a well-made show that doesn't need to rely on the shock factor of killing off its characters to be good. With that said, the surprise you're faced with, when both major and minor characters bite the dust, greatly enhances the Thrones viewing experience, and is arguably one of the show's trademarks. If you haven't started watching Game of Thrones by now, there's a fairly decent chance that you already know about, or are at least aware of, one or more of the series' bombshell character deaths/plot twists. And while this shouldn't negatively impact your enjoyment of the show, it certainly could affect the way you watch certain episodes, compared to if you came into the series- like a certain mopey faced bastard- knowing nothing. Oh, and another downside, just for good measure- GoT is not available on any of the three major streaming services. You can thank HBO for that.
- If you enjoy Games of Thrones, check out The Walking Dead. It's another wildly popular adaptation of a lesser known intellectual property- in this case, Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic book series. TWD features a large cast of characters with similarly imperiled lives as those in Game of Thrones. And, while it's not quite the show Game of Thrones is, in terms of quality, it's an entertaining show, with an engaging premise, that's steadily gotten better as the seasons have gone on.
Garrett Yoshitomi is a contributor for A Play on Nerds. He covers Marvel films and television, and enjoys fantasy baseball, Big Brother live feeds, and Anna Kendrick. You can find his tweets @garrettweets