Entertainment
Don't Sleep On These Deceptively Good Shows On Netflix
When it comes to marathon watching, there are several types of shows we tend to veer towards. There are the comfort shows that are always there for you — the wacky misadventures of The Office, the retro, magical charms of Charmed — and there are the shows we scroll over time and time again. You know the Netflix shows that look bad, for one reason or another. You judge instantaneously from that freshly photoshopped screencap and just decide to click on Parks and Rec for the 100th time instead. Venturing into new media territory is scary, I get it. But I promise that certain shows are actually better than the button (and two sentence description) promises.
Of course, everything is deeply subjective. Even though certain mainstream shows make for crowd-pleasers, we usually have different tastes when it comes to TV. So, I rounded up a handful of different shows spanning several genres so all bases are covered. No matter what common show you're addicted to, I should have some sort of interesting substitution that you never would've thought of. Or that you have thought of for a split second, but need some convincing to actually marathon. Let me be that push for you to get really adventurous all over your streaming service.
1'Love'
It may look like your typical Judd Apatow rom-com with more emphasis on com and also a dark haired Britta Perry, and that's because it... is. But it's nonetheless worth a shot, because it definitely has its moments.
2'The Secret Life Of The American Teenager'
Maybe teen mom Shailene Woodley doesn't appeal for some reason bizarre reason. Seeing teen queen Molly Ringwald as a mom, however, should entice you. Come on, you don't have to watch Gilmore Girls for the millionth time.
3'Girl Meets World'
If you loved Boy Meets World, you might have been sold on this simply for the nostalgia factor. If not, you might not be rushing to watch a Disney Channel show in the deep throws of your adulthood. However, it's actually much smarter and more progressive than you would imagine.
4'Penny Dreadful'
Kind of a weird, nonsensical, B-movie romp, but perfect if you're a horror lover who adored Lynchian things.
5'Ghost Whisperer'
A more spiritual sister to The Medium, and Jennifer Love Hewitt is just a delight.
6'iZombie'
If you weren't informed that Rob Thomas is at the helm, and you really miss Veronica Mars, now is the time to stop passing this over.
7'The Crazy Ones'
I am perpetually dedicated to Sarah Michelle Gellar, so I caught a few episodes in passing. It's not the sitcom of the century, but it has its LOL moments and solid talent. Ideal if you never properly got to say goodbye to Robin Williams.
8'Wilfred'
If this show looks at all crazy, that's because it is crazy. Like, in a Elijah Wood is seriously questioning his sanity way. So that's worth the ticket price, right?
9'Bomb Girls'
If you love period dramas, but can't plow through Mad Men again, take on something that puts ladies to the forefront, like this Canadian series on World War II factory workers.
10'Portlandia'
You normals (read: my roommate) probably wouldn't want to buy into the quirky lives of Portland's finest, most of which look like Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen (and two of which are). But, if you're feeling adventurous, you can get through two seasons in like a day without conflict.
11'Don't Trust The B In Apartment 23'
My gone-too-soon fave. It may seem like a generic sitcom of a doe-eyed girl in the big city (with the perplexing addition of James Van Der Beek), but it's secretly stylish and special. Oh, and, as to be expected, Krysten Ritter glows in every scene.
12'Skins'
If you only caught the flash-in-a-pan American adaptation on MTV and have never been on Tumblr like... ever, then you're probably not going to want to buy into the OG UK version. However, the uncensored adventures of the updated-every-two-years casts of British teens makes several generations of Degrassi students looks tame.
Trust me, guys. You're going to want to check at least one of these shows out, and you won't regret it.
