With the holiday season basically upon us, it means a lot of us are blessed with time off work or school. As such, it’s the perfect time of year to sit inside, and binge watch TV shows and movies all day long.
So, I thought it would be fun to list some of the best series you need to watch before this year ends. Have a look, and see if you can watch them all!
Game Of Thrones
How can you write a post about TV series and not include Game of Thrones? It’s probably the most watched series at the moment, and everyone is always talking about it. There’s never a dull moment in any season, and it’s a truly mesmerizing watch. If you don’t know the premise of the show, then it basically revolves around a fight for the Iron Throne. Different protagonists are fighting to sit on the throne and rule the seven kingdoms. They’re backed by various parties, and there are plenty of twists as you make your way through each series.
If you’ve managed to avoid spoilers up until now, then Game of Thrones will completely change how you watch TV as it does things you usually wouldn’t expect. It’s not for the faint-hearted, as there’s plenty of violence in there. It’s also got an almost blockbuster movie budget, meaning the visuals and special effects are unbelievable. There are 7 series out right now, with an 8th and final one coming in the future. All 7 series can be bought on Blu-Ray or Amazon Prime, or you may be able to watch them on HBO’s demand service if you have a digital subscription.
Stranger Things
Recently, the internet was blown away by the release of Stranger Things 2; the second series in Netflix’s popular series. It revolves around a group of children, who you instantly grow connected with. I will also add that they’re possibly the best group of child actors you’ll ever see! It’s set in 1983 and complete with iconic visual imagery and cinematography from the time. The first season follows an ongoing investigation after a young child disappeared in a small town. This leads to all sorts of crazy happenings and supernatural adventures ensue. The second season follows on from this as the cast gets to grips with reality after the crazy thrills of the first season.
I won’t spoil anything for you here, all I’ll say is that you need to watch this series when you have time. It’s wonderfully different, and you’ll love it if you’re into science-fiction, fantasy, and thrillers. To make life easy for you, all episodes are streaming on Netflix right now. So, get wrapped up in your blanket, buy some snacks, and have a good binge.
Ray Donovan
Ray Donovan is five series in which gives you plenty of watch time during the holiday season. It’s a series that revolves around the main protagonist; Ray Donovan (obviously), as he carries out work as a ‘fixer’ in Hollywood. Essentially, Ray does all the dirty work that typical TV thugs do, this includes roughing up rivals and generally throwing his weight around. But, he’s got a lot of personal issues going on too, with his past often haunting him and causing tense situations.
It’s a really good series if you like tense, gripping, drama, and enjoy a typical ‘tough guy’ character. The acting is brilliant, and the setting of a dark Hollywood is also absolutely fantastic. The series is shown on Showtime, which means if you have digital cable TV like the services here, you can watch it on demand right now. Blu-rays are also available for series 1-5 too, so make sure you catch up before series 6 comes in 2018.
Rick & Morty
All the previous series have been a little intense, so it’s time to lighten the mood with Rick & Morty. This has become an instant cult classic from the creator of another cult comedy show; Community. The premise of this series is a mad scientist named Rick going on crazy adventures with his grandson Morty. Expect time traveling scenarios, portal guns to different dimensions, and a lot of sci-fi humor and comedy. The show has won plaudits for being very clever and a massive breath of fresh air compared to other cartoon comedy shows.
If you’ve never watched Rick & Morty, then you’re lucky enough to have 3 full seasons at your disposal. Believe me, it’s one of those shows that constantly leaves you thinking “just one more episode”. Before you know it, you’ve watched all 3 seasons in a day. The series is shown on Adult Swim so you might be able to catch a few episodes on there if you’ve got access to that channel. They also show some on their website for free too. Otherwise, you can look at Hulu to stream the first two series, or use a VPN to access the UK version of Netflix and watch all three seasons.
The Walking Dead
Along with Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead is an iconic TV show from the last 7 years. It first came about in 2010 at the start of this weird zombie/post-apocalyptic obsession in TV and film. Now in its 8th season, The Walking Dead follows a group of characters as they try to survive a world full of zombies. The makeup in this series is quite staggering, and the whole aura and visuals are a masterpiece. It’s also incredibly intense and full of twists and shocking things you don’t expect. If you’re a massive zombie nerd, then this is a must-watch for you.
As it happens, the latest season of The Walking Dead is on right now. New episodes are on every Monday evening on AMC so you can watch them there if you have this channel. If you’re looking to catch up on the previous seasons, then you can buy a Blu Ray box set or catch up on Netflix.
If you manage to watch every episode of every series I’ve mentioned, then you deserve a medal! There are a few honorable mentions too including; Daredevil, The Flash, This Is Us, Breaking Bad, Mr Robot, and Westworld.
