One of the best additions to a rainy afternoon or a casual study session is a low-maintenance TV show to throw on in the background.
The 2000s had no shortage of entertaining but easily understandable TV shows, perfect for binging or mindlessly watching while completing your Canvas to-do list. As an avid show-watcher, some programs have stood out more than others
- “One Tree Hill”
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From love triangles to murder to generational brother drama to obsessive stalkers, “One Tree Hill” has it all. Once starting this show, it is nearly impossible to stop.
The drama that ensues in “One Tree Hill” is utterly captivating, which makes it all the more entertaining to watch. It challenges the watcher to confront their own feelings and deal with familial trouble, mental health, the effects of substance abuse and more.
Actors like Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty and Bryan Greenberg are an added bonus throughout the show, and especially easy on the eyes.
- “Teen Wolf”
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One of the best supernatural TV shows of its time, “Teen Wolf” is the perfect representation of struggling with intense change while battling through the normal teenage experience.
Experimenting with creatures from folklore and incorporating such tales into the lives of high school students breeds loss, sacrifice, betrayal and more to incite an eerie suspense. Through it all, the characters still have to manage their families, grades and romance.
A healthy mix of comedy and horror, “Teen Wolf” is the perfect watch for something slightly different but equally enthralling.
- “Dawson’s Creek”
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“Dawson’s Creek” is probably one of the only shows where its main character is despised by the majority of its fanbase. But this should not deter you from watching.
Infidelity, scheming backstabbing galore. “Dawson’s Creek” seemingly starts off as the love story between two kids from across the creek, but life, drama and best friends get in the way.
This show is a hidden gem that is great to watch if you’re looking for an escape to the Massachusetts coast or to expand your vocabulary. Those creek kids know their way around the English language.
- “Gilmore Girls”
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A classic show on any early 2000s TV list, “Gilmore Girls” is the cozy culmination of academic inspiration, boyfriend drama and mother-daughter relationships.
Whether you’re team Dean, Jess or Logan, “Gilmore Girls” is a great TV show to watch to get motivated to do your assignments or for autumn outfit inspiration. Whatever the reasoning, “Gilmore Girls” never misses.
- “the OC”
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Take a trip to Orange County, California and be immersed in the wicked and complicated lives of the Newport Beach youth.
The characters of “The OC” deal with all the same things as regular teenagers, with an infinite allowance and barely any homework or consequences, making a perfect escape from reality and below-zero weather.
Fraud, juvenile detention and stalkers move the story along, all with the beautiful scenery of the California coast to perpetuate your jealousy.
- “Gossip Girl”
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The Upper East Side of New York City, flowing with riches and incriminating gossip, makes for an alluring premise of a TV show. “Gossip Girl” captures such drama in full force, following the stories of the kids of Park Avenue and all of the secrets that come with it.
While “Gossip Girl” is often frustrating, as many of their problems are easily avoidable, it is a good show to throw on to immerse yourself in high fashion, revenge plots and dreams of an Ivy League education.
- “The Vampire Diaries”
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“The Vampire Diaries,” loosely based on the book series of the same name by L.J. Smith, invites the watcher to immerse themselves in a world where vampires, witches, werewolves and more walk among the public.
Mystic Falls, Virginia is home to several founding families and a hub for supernatural activity, unfolding into eight seasons of brotherly love triangles, blood-thirsty hunters searching for retribution and a game of tug-of-war between humans and the paranormal.
The later seasons slowly grow further and further from the original plot which can make the show harder to watch, but the first few seasons will invite you back into their clutches with the nostalgic romance and dark plot line.
The 2000s had some of the best television, which is why our media so often refers back to these groundbreaking shows. The plots are often nothing new, but the characters add a captivating edge that indulges you over and over.
Happy binging!