If you’re anything like me, you spend hours poring over TV show reviews and recommendations, and the process of picking a new show to watch requires more effort than researching for a final paper. That’s why you take the easy way out and watch The Office for the millionth time.
We all know that university is about new experiences and, in the wise words of Kylie Jenner, “like, realizing stuff!” I believe that the mantra of stepping out of your comfort zone is applicable to Netflix, and what better time to start practicing that than during your university years.
Here, I help steer you down the road less travelled with this list of four great shows you may not have seen before!
Nathan For You
Marketing students, pay close attention because Nathan Fielder graduated from one of Canada’s top business schools and has really good grades. This docu-reality comedy television series follows host Nathan and his quest to help struggling businesses with insane ideas that often lead to hilarious results. The best part of this show is that he actually follows through with his terrible business plans with so much effort, you sit there wondering if he is just pulling an elaborate and expensive prank, parodying the ways of marketing consultants, or deconstructing the human condition. So many possibilities!
Out-of-context quote: “Unfortunately, tragically he died when baboons kidnapped and ate him.”
Broad City
In the same vein of Comedy Central series, next up we have Broad City. This show follows the mundane adventures of two twenty-something besties, Abbi and Ilana, and their attempts to navigate adulthood. The premise of Broad City may sound overdone, but what makes it so funny is the honest portrayal of their friendship. Even though their behaviour is ridiculous, we’ve also acted a smidgen like that at one point in time or another. Broad City is probably one of the most relatable shows out there about female friendships.
I’d like to know- are you more of an Abbi or Ilana? Or are they more similar than they are different?
Ilana: Avoids doing her taxes by stuffing them into an envelope and mailing it to her parents- because she can’t become a tax expert overnight, obviously.
Abbi: Knows that Bed Bath & Beyond coupons never really expire, despite what it says on the back
BFF Quote: “You want me to FaceTime from the bathroom?”
Bojack Horseman
Labelled a “black comedy” on Wikipedia, Bojack Horseman sounds vaguely threatening for a cartoon about a horse- but it’s not a show to watch if you want to have a lighthearted laugh. If anything, it will be a laugh heavy with the burdens of your hardest hitting insecurities. You would need to swap out your bag of Cheetos for a bucket to collect your tears with. It can get downright, straight up, every each way depressing. The main character, Bojack, represents the worst in all of us, which sets the show up for comedy gold. As the show progresses, you realize that Bojack’s inability to maintain a healthy lifestyle stems from circumstances out of his control.
True AF quote: “That’s the problem with life, you either know what you want, and you don’t get what you want, or you get what you want, and you don’t know what you want.”
Arrested Development
We don’t see enough Arrested Development memes and that is really a shame. If you enjoy good puns, you’ll like this show. Its “rewatchability factor” is high, because the jokes are flying at you a mile a minute so most of them just go over your head the first time around. Unlike Bojack Horseman, some of the characters are just terrible people because it’s amusing to watch, and doesn’t delve into how they came to be the way that they are – making it perfect for some lighthearted Netflix bingeing. It also features Michael Cera playing an awkward teen, back when he still possessed some endearing qualities.
Highly usable quote: “I don’t understand the question, and I won’t respond to it.”