It’s summer time! It feels so good to finally have some free time, right? Kayaking, cookouts, camping are waiting for us in summer. But some days are rainy and getting outside is next to impossible. So here we are, stuck inside with a stack of dishes we just haven’t gotten around to yet and looking for an excuse anywhere to continue putting off the world’s tallest dish mountain.

It’s a good thing that you came here because I have the perfect excuse for you- TV shows. I’ve created a list of shows to watch that are my personal favorites. I’ve watched every one of these shows in their entirety (some two or three times) and each one is fantastic in their own way. Whether they make me laugh until I cry or contemplate my existence, each fulfills their original purpose. Some of these are really popular shows and others are some you may never have heard of before. Either way, give them a chance, watch them and let me know what you think of them in the comments below.

And finally, in no particular  order, 8 shows to binge watch this summer:

Reign

Need some serious drama in your life and maybe just a touch of historical fiction? Reign is about a young Scottish queen, Mary Queen of Scots, and her battle to save her country in her early queen-hood. Filled with drama, backstabbing, political moves, love triangles and a little bit of magic, this show has a bit of everything to satisfy any viewer. Long may she reign.

Young and Hungry

Alright, I admit, when I first saw the commercials for this show, I thought it was going to be really dumb. It’s common knowledge that Freeform (formally called ABC family) is pretty hit or miss for good TV shows, and even then, it usually contains nothing but fluff. With Young and Hungry, it’s exactly that, but in the best of ways.  I can put this show on in the background and get other work done or put my full attention towards it. Young and Hungry follows young culinary blogger, Gabi Diamond, as she works her way to become the next Julia Child. With each episode being no more than 30 minutes long, it’s an easy to watch show that can lift your spirits in a matter of minutes.

John Mulaney New in Town

This one isn’t a TV show but it deserved a mention. John Mulaney is a comedian who comments on his early life and the insane life moments he’s come across thus far. If you need some gut wrenching laughs in your life, this is the one to watch. And because it’s only an hour long, it won’t take up your entire day if you have other things to do.

New Girl

Jess is the new girl on the block. After a nasty breakup with her boyfriend, she moves in with three random strangers who all happen to be men. With her eccentric personality, she tries to find how she fits in this strange and new group of people. New Girl is a light hearted sitcom with six seasons of laughter, tears, confusion and entertaining content.

Sherlock

Everyone knows about Sherlock Holmes but you’ve never seen him like this. BBC reinvented Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s vision by bring Watson, Sherlock and their cases into the 21st century. Tension? Mystery? Humor? I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t watch a whole season in a day.

NCIS

Would a list of good TV shows to watch in the summer be complete without NCIS? NCIS is an American crime series that follows Special Agent Gibbs and his team as they solve crime after crime. With nearly 350 episodes to watch, it’s hard to run out of content with this one.

Your Lie in April

Before you say anything, let me get this out of the way: ANIME IS NOT JUST FOR CHILDREN. If you really believe that pile of nonsense, go watch the first episode of Attack on Titan. That will change your mind. Or Your Lie in April. Anyways, Your Lie in April is a one season anime that follows a child musical prodigy after he retired for personal reasons. Then, a violinist girl forces him to be her accompanist and now he has to get back up on the stage and face his biggest fears. If you want a show that is going to give you the serious feels every time you watch it, Your Lie in April is perfect for you! I cried many, MANY times while watching it, and there’s only 13 episodes, each about 25 minutes in length.

Death Parade

Do you want to contemplate your entire existence? Rather, do you want to contemplate what happens to you when you die? Well, step into the world of Death Parade and have a seat at Quindecim bar. This series spawned from a short film called Death Billiards. It follows Decim, a bartender who determines what will happen with the souls of the people who come into his bar. Will they be reincarnated or cast into the void? This is another fantastic anime with so many hidden gems and will leave you thinking long after you turn off your TV.

 

There are plenty more TV shows out there, but these ones are some of my current favorites that I think more people need to see. Do you have a favorite TV series you think I should watch? Tell me about them in the comments!

 

Unitl Next Time,

Dana Qualy