While comedies are the hookups of television, giving a few laughs and moving on, dramas are the long-term relationships, reeling you in for the long haul. But television enthusiasts aren’t just looking for any old series. You want a show with charisma — a show to take home to your parents.
So if you’re looking to settle down with a TV series, here are a few options available to you on Netflix instant streaming.
‘Breaking Bad’
You’ve probably heard of it, or at least seen the many “Heisenberg” T-shirts around campus. “Breaking Bad” is popular for a reason.
Starring Malcolm in the Middle’s Bryan Cranston (in a radically different role), “Breaking Bad” focuses on Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher. He thought his life couldn’t get any worse, until he finds out he has lung cancer and is expected to die. As an attempt to make a fortune for his children to inherit, White puts his chemistry knowledge to a new use and starts cooking meth.
While meth is something that normally scares people off, this edgy topic is what makes “Breaking Bad” so addicting (pun not intended). Ask any “Breaking Bad” fan — if they didn’t follow it from the beginning, they probably watched it in a series of binging marathons.
Oddly appealing and extremely well done, go ahead and watch it. Because it’s over, you won’t have any more seasons to look forward to, but at least you’ll finally get everyone’s references.
Status: Ended — all episodes available
‘Orange is the New Black’
There hasn’t been a more universally loved show than “Orange is the New Black” since “Friends” — but instead of Ross and Rachel lounging in Central Perk, “Orange is the New Black” follows an upper-middle-class woman through her experiences in prison. Piper Chapman, an organic soap-making yuppie, is serving a 15-month sentence.
If you’re anything like my mom, a show based on federal offenders sounds fairly unappealing — but she ended up loving it once I talked her into watching it.
As an original Netflix series that doesn’t air on national television, “Orange is the New Black” was given a bit more reign with the show’s edginess, and boy did they take that into consideration.
Chapman’s experiences are intense and uncomfortable to watch, but it’s hard to look away. The way “Orange is the New Black” tells its story is fascinating, and incredibly raw. No other show on television covers social topics such as transgender and prisoner’s rights while managing to mix in a few laughs.
Based on Piper Kerman’s autobiography, “Orange is the New Black” tells a truthful story recollecting her experiences but the fictional drama is really what keeps the viewers attention.
Chapman is easily the least likable character, and that’s not surprising with the amazing supporting cast of talented actresses that the series spends most of its time on.
“Orange is the New Black” is one of the edgiest shows in the spotlight right now, and it’s worth watching — even if you’re tempted to finish it in one sitting.
Status: Ongoing – Seasons 1 and 2 available
‘Mad Men’
“Mad Men” focuses on a Madison Avenue advertising agency in the ’60s — that doesn’t sound thrilling, so what’s all the hype about?
Other than explaining the ins-and-outs of the advertising industry, “Mad Men” is full of sex, drinking, feminism and historical commentary. The show does a fantastic job of painting a realistic, accurate portrait of the 1960s, including marvelous outfits and plenty of discrimination.
Don Draper, the front man of “Mad Men,” comes off as a clean-cut father of a beautiful, suburban family — he’s anything but. With a mysterious past and a racy, powerful energy, Draper’s character won his portrayer, Jon Hamm, sexiest man alive in 2008.
Although the show tackles plenty of social movements that were on the rise in the ’60s, the women’s movement in the workplace is what makes “Mad Men” memorable.
The series provides the viewer with insight on a woman trying to work and live in a man’s world. Peggy Olson, one of the main characters, has become a feminist symbol in media as the show has gained popularity, being an understated powerhouse in the show. Quiet and misjudged by her coworkers, she is the poster child of feminist power.
Whether you’re into artistically motivated television or tons of adultery, “Mad Men” is definitely the show for you.
Status: Ongoing – Final season (7) set to wrap up early 2015