Five TV Shows to Begin With
I live a lot of my best moments in life through watching television. Being well-versed in television has become an obsession of mine, and it allows me to act like I know about everything in pop culture relating to television ever. A common theme in most TV shows is new beginnings. I mean, if you think about it, that plot line gives a lot of wiggle room for any type of storyline that you could imagine. The theme for this issue is new beginnings, so what better recommendation list to write other than a recommendation list of five TV shows that you, the reader, can begin with?
Superstore (2015-present)
Cloud 9 Superstore is home (and workplace) to many characters that will have you laughing as if the show itself created comedy. Borrowing techniques from classics like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Community, this show is great for light comedy when you’re feeling down. This sitcom includes characters that are so easy to relate to and so well-developed that you’ll never be bored of their antics. Following the theme of this issue, there are many characters who have plot lines that force them into a “new beginning” or fresh start. You can find this plot through the new employee Jonah, long-time manager Amy, or Cheyenne, who is trying to navigate motherhood whilst only being seventeen. Superstore is a great show to watch when you want to experience amusing, cheerful and comforting television. Superstore recently got renewed for season five (yay!), and the first four seasons are streaming on Hulu.New Girl (2011-2018)
To accompany the theme of comedies with lovable characters, I introduce to you: New Girl. Starring Zooey Deschanel, New Girl follows the life of happy-go-lucky, ray of sunshine Jessica Day. Jessica is thrown into her “new beginning” when she comes home to find her longtime boyfriend cheating on her. Quickly looking for a start over button, Jess moves in with three guys she finds on Craigslist and learns that starting over isn’t always such a bad thing. New Girl offers six new companions to start over with, and I am sure you’ll grow to love, not one, but all of the main characters. All seven seasons of New Girl are streaming on both Hulu and Netflix!90210 (1990-2000)
Nothing says new beginnings and fresh starts like moving from Kansas to Beverly Hills. This show, if nothing else, will give you a step outside of your own world (unless you live in Beverly Hills and are surrounded by preppy and sometimes obnoxious high schoolers). Right away, the show gives you four characters to love, appreciate, and relate to. My favorite thing about this show is that the plot lines are clever and concise, never letting any drama or storyline drag on too long. And because 90210 takes place during the characters’ sophomore year of high school, all of the characters are dealing with their own identities, while facing the hard realities of young adult life. 90210 is filled with magnificent character development and characters who will no doubt steal your heart. Although the seasons aren’t currently streaming on any platform, a quick Google search will lead you to the episodes in no time.Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-2015)
If you grew up the way I did, you were never able to watch Degrassi during its actual runtime on TeenNick, but you still tried your best to piece together storylines and subplots through the commercials and previews played through transitions in between shows. Over the course of its fourteen seasons, Degrassi: The Next Generation first takes you through middle school, then the roller coaster that is high school. With the characters facing everyday life as a teenager, Degrassi will never have you bored. And because of all of the different subplots that characters go through, you are bound to find someone that you relate to. Each season starts a new school year or semester for the students, so I recommend starting your journey with the Panthers at the same time as the beginning of your own school year. Since Degrassi is generational, there are seasons before and after Next Generation that are outstanding works of television. All fourteen seasons of Degrassi: Next Generation can be found on YouTube.Hart of Dixie (2011-2015)
If you ever want to be dipped into some southern living, watch this show. Hart of Dixie is set in Bluebell, Alabama, a small town down south. The show introduces you to its main character right away, Zoey Hart, a doctor from New York. As she finds out that the life she’s always known isn’t her actual life, Zoey is forced to choose between the life she’s been living or the life that she doesn’t know. These characters in particular are so easy to fall in love with, and by the time you’re done with this show, you’re going to wish you lived in a small town, too. All four seasons of Hart of Dixie are streaming on Netflix.