Most of us are aware of the eternal struggling of pulling ourselves away from our favourite series. "Just one more episode!" we say to ourselves at 3am as we watch the rest of the season whilst we snack down on a whole tub of Ben and Jerry's. More and more of us are ditching traditional cable companies such as Sky and BT in favour of the cheaper streaming options such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. I, myself, am guilty as I don't even have my Sky box plugged in. Netflix is my favourite past time, either for when I'm eating dinner, or if I just want to sit back and relax.
Here are some of my top series available on Netflix in no particular order.
1. Anything Louis Theroux Related
Louis Theroux is a British journalist who reports on topics which are considered strange, or taboo, in nature. His documentaries are fascinating as he gains access to institutions, and groups, which typically aren't welcoming of outsiders. One controversial episode is called "A Place for Paedophiles." Louis visits California's Coalinga mental hospital which houses many paedophiles. Louis gets the chance to talk to them and see what they are like as people. The episode also entails ways in which paedophilia is treated. This is one of the many unusual episodes available on Netflix. Other episodes of interest is "The Most Hated Family in America" which follows the Phelps family, who protest at Soldiers' funerals that "God Hates Fags", and "Louis and the Brothel" which follows Louis as he speaks to the workers, and customers, of a brothel in Nevada.
2. Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is one of my favourite guilty pleasures. I have just finished all 6 seasons in the space of a few months, living, and breathing, the GG lifestyle. Gossip Girl is about a group of teens who are classed as "Manhattan's Elite". Gossip Girl, an unknown identity, reveals the secrets of the characters throughout the show, causing much mayhem and an interesting dynamic. Dan Humphrey is a lonely boy from Brooklyn who attends a private school in the Upper East Side. He comes from a humble background as his parents aren't ridiculously rich, unlike some of the other characters on the show. His love interest, Serena Van Der Woodsen, is the "it" girl of the Upper East Side, everyone wants to be her. Her best friend is Blair Waldorf. Blair is the queen of the school and she makes sure that everyone knows it. Their two friends are Chuck Bass, a super-rich playboy, and Nate Archibald, the most morally sound guy on the show. The show is a typical teen drama, with relationships gone wrong, scheming behind peoples back, and awkward situations which have been brought on by Gossip Girl. Perfect binge watch material.
3. Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time is a show which encompasses as many fairy-tale characters as it can. We've seen Elsa and Anna from Frozen, Cruella de Ville from 101 Dalmatians, and even Ursula from The Little Mermaid. It follows the usual fairy-plot; someone bad comes along, the good guys defeat them, and then they live happily ever after. Although, it actually can get really dark as some characters try to fight their dark side to be able to get their happily ever after, whilst others fall into darkness and you see them develop into what they would fight against. The storyline can sometimes be a little cringe, but it is perfect binge watch material.
Final Thoughts
Louis Theroux offers an informative, yet whacky, show and is great if you are interested in learning about things you wouldn't have even thought about. Gossip Girl lets you live vicariously through the teenagers of the Upper East Side and their struggle with keeping secrets thanks to GG herself. Lastly, Once Upon a Time has rich in-depth plot and character development which can sometimes get pretty heavy, but you can almost guarantee there will be a happily ever after.
What are your favourite shows? Comment below and I'll try to watch them.
Written by Liam McNamara
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