Repeat after me: TV is my friend. Toss away that ridiculous ideal that TV is bad for you. Instead, let’s frame it in a more positive light. Consider your TV as an outlet for your everyday woes and struggles in life. Had a bad day? Snuggle up with the Dunphy’s from Modern Family. Suffering from heartache? Turn on Spartacus for a healthy dose of sexy, shirtless men.
I won’t lie to you; I may have a huge crush on my television screen, but that doesn’t mean you have to fill your DVR to its breaking point. With all of last fall’s series coming to a close, weeding out the mediocre from the amazing only seems fair. Getting into a new show can be tedious; you never know what will stick with you (or on air) or what is even good. Don’t get me wrong, old fan favorites just feel right. Why else would they be on a seventh season? But they also never die (I’m pointing at you, Meredith Grey). Sometimes a newbie show is exactly what you need to remember why you actually like to watch TV.
2 Broke Girls: Who doesn’t want to snicker at Max’s dirty jokes or Oleg’s (yes that’s his name) unrelenting determination to bed every girl in sight? In case you’ve been living under a mountain, Max works at a seedy New York diner and must learn to work with Caroline, a former Manhattan heiress turned penniless waitress. Between Max’s dream of owning a cupcake shop and Caroline’s’ degree in business, what’s the worst that can happen? (Hint: just about everything.)
Revenge: Having believed her father was responsible for the terrorist attack on an airplane, Amanda Clark leaves juvenile hall with more than just mental instability. Upon discovering her father’s innocence through a carefully concealed chest, Amanda changes her name and returns to the Hamptons to destroy the people who brought about her family’s ruin. Based loosely on The Count of Monte Cristo, revenge has never looked so expensive.
Once Upon a Time: This is, by far, my favorite new series to date. Being half-princess myself, fairy tales have captivated me since I was young. Though it casts Snow White as the leading princess, Cinderella and Belle are also featured with their own altered tales of love and anguish. Mix in Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and The Mad Hatter, and you have a recipe for amazingness. If you haven’t started watching, drop what you’re doing and Velcro yourself to the remote (Fine, finishing reading then do it. And don’t give me that look).
Game of Thrones: Need to feed your inner Tolkien? I have your antidote. Based on the books of the Fire and Ice series, this show of epic proportions takes place in a fictitious world of warring families, dragon eggs, and a cheeky midget. Scandals, twin-cest, and back-stabbing surround this blood-thirsty battle to control the Iron Throne. Even with forty million characters to keep track of, “Game of Thrones” will hypnotize you. No character, main or minor, is safe from getting the axe.
Still unconvinced? I dare you to watch them. You won’t be disappointed.