Winter is here and we know that great entertainment must be found within the confines of your four walls. To keep you busy, we have created a list of shows for you to keep you busy until spring! Some of the shows you may heard of but we hope this is a new list for you. We would love to hear your thoughts on the list and any recommendation you have – especially if we have failed to mention noteworthy titles.
Hell On Wheels
With AMC shows Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead getting all the hype, it’s easy for an amazing show like Hell on Wheels to get swept under the rug. Westerns aren’t exactly the most exciting of genres to the modern TV viewer, but when a show is done right, it definitely deserves your attention.
Set in late 1860’s early 1870, Hell on Wheels tells the tale of Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier seeking to avenge his murdered wife and son – murdered by Union Soldiers. The story wonderfully portrays the mid-1800s west – especially well depicted are the territorial disputes (with the Native Americans), racial disputes (newly freed slaves seeking equality and better treatment), religious morality, political struggles, and of course the lawlessness of the West.
Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is set in the immediate post-World War I Birmingham, England. The show tells the tale of a fictional character named Thomas Shelby, a war veteran with ambitions of becoming wealthy and successful. He is the leader of the gang, the Peaky Blinders, a gang which in actuality was quite notorious for their brutal atrocities – an image that the show does a complete justice of portraying. The setting is beautifully showcased and both the story and the acting are phenomenal. If you are a fan of Boardwalk Empire, then this is show you are simply going to love. The show has an impressive cast that includes Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Helen McCrory, and Tom Hardy.
Sherlock
Sherlock is a modern day adaptation of Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch (as Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Dr. Watson). The duo will instantly become one of your favorite of all historic iconic teams. The series currently consists of 3 seasons with 9 episodes, the episodes are all roughly hour and a half long so you can definitely kill a lot of time with this series while completely enjoying yourself. The show does a great job of balancing drama and comedy and features exceptional storytelling and direction.
Orphan Black
Orphan Black is a science fiction show that revolves around human cloning. It’s a difficult to describe the show without giving away the main plot so we recommend that you check out the summary on IMDB. Although, we can say that it is made incredibly well as far as the production is concerned, the story telling, the acting, and the effects are meshed ingeniously. Also, it incorporates humor, suspense, drama, romance, and science fiction imagery in quite a satisfactory way. But, don’t take our word for it; it currently holds a 92% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Da Vinci’s Demons
Leonardo Da Vinci is hands down one of the most iconic personalities to have ever lived and having a show about him simply makes sense. However, Da Vinci’s Demon puts a more fantastical spin on his life and describes him as a know-it-all hero rather than as an open-minded adventurer. The characters are filled with humor, wit, and emotion – which is destined to please you all. The plot lines, along with the secondary characters are also quite engaging and satisfying.
If you are looking for a replacement for Spartacus, then this (fairly) new Starz series will do you justice!
United States Of Tara
While Orphan Black shows you the main actress (Tatiana Maslany) playing different characters, United States of Tara actress (Toni Collette) plays ONE character with multiple identities, should impress you. Her character has been diagnosed with dissociate identity disorder (DID). The show revolves around the hardships a family has to deal with when a (responsible) member of the family goes through different personalities randomly with no warnings.
The best part of the show are the emotions it can create in the viewers, you will not be able to help yourself from laughing at various scenarios yet feeling overwhelmingly sorry – many times on the same occasion.
Kudos to actress Toni Collette for masterfully portraying the distinctive multiple characters.
The Bletchley Circle
The Bletchley Circle is a show about four war-time (WWII) codebreakers who reunite just after the war in 1953 to solve the mystery of a serial killer. Great story, setting, and acting; this show is certainly an exceptional drama that will easily draw you in right from the beginning. So far there are only 2 seasons and a total of 7 episodes – this is a mini-series – so you can easily catch up to this show in a matter of a day.
The Americans
For those who enjoy political intrigue or shows that require some intellectual exercise then The Americans is for you. The story features two Russian spies going deep undercover and posing as a married couple in the 1980’s; if that isn’t exciting and original (for current days standards), then you tell us what is. The fact that you want to feel hopeful for what is really “the enemy” is a great aspect of this show.
If you have seen shows like American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy, and Rescue Me, then you know that FX gives you some of the best non-premium (commercial inclusive) programming and luckily, The Americans faces no exceptions.
Banshee
Banshee is the story of an ex-criminal who upon being released after 15 years in prison assumes the identity of Banshee, Pennsylvania’s new incoming sheriff, Lucas Hood. Conflicted by his criminal intent and his newly acquired duties as a police officer, he must now balance his double life.
Do not let this show fool you for a “neo-noir’ with blazing guns, big bangs, and hot chicks – while it is all that – it is much more than it! You might find the initial episodes to be a little slow but give it a chance and let it settle in, once it does, you will not find yourself wanting to watch anything else.
Broad City
Comedy Central is no stranger to outlandish comedy series like Workaholics. With only a season into its existence, you may have not yet been introduced to their new instant classic Broad City. On the surface, it simply follows two best friends who live in New York and have the quirkiest of ways and ideals. But look any deeper, and you will find two strong independent women looking to express, find romance, surviving the city on low incomes, and holding tight to their friendships while the real struggles as life approaches to crush them – all of course done in the most quirkiest and hilarious of ways. The series only has one full season and the second one has just begun; do yourself the favor and spend an afternoon playing catch up!