Binge Watching TV: A Year in Review

Around this time last year I posted about the series I watched over the summer while new tv wasn't on. A year has gone by and I have continued with my current shows, and spent even more time binging.  Do me a favor - don't add these up. 

As new TV is just around the corner, it seemed like the right time to think back on the year and what I watched.  During the year is always slower, but I still managed to view a lot.  I took September off from streaming shows, as it was a full time job to catch up on the dvr.  Here is a summary of what I watched and what I thought about it....

What are you streaming??

Breaking Bad - I'm drawing attention to this even though it's been about a year.  I finished all of the streaming episodes just in time to watch the last 4 new with the rest of the world.  It was a really fun experience to be able to talk about it live with friends and twitter, and made the completion of the series even better.  JESSE FOREVER!!!!

Scandal - I was looking for something fun to start, and my step-sister insisted I would love this.  It's definitely a guilty pleasure kind of show, a little ridiculous at times, but I watched the first 2 seasons rapidly and was caught up with the live broadcasts by October.

The West Wing - At 155 episodes, this was the largest streaming show I had ever taken on, and it definitely took some time, but was well worth it.  I fell in love with ALL of the characters (Especially Josh Lyman), and over and over found myself saying "WHY did I not watch this when it was new?!?!?!"  I also got a friend into it and we were poised to finish around the same time, so I drove to Philadelphia and we watched the last  episodes together, which was a really fun experience (and one you don't get a lot when you're solo-streaming.  The downside of watching a show that is 10+ years old - the community viewing experience is never the same)

House of Cards S.2 - This came out right around the time TWW finished, so it was a quick weekend binge (and was darker and crazier than the season before)

My So-Called Life - I had never watched this back in the mid-90s when it came out.  I remember my friends talking about it, but it aired against Mad About You and a little new show I was in to (FRIENDS), so I missed out.  So glad I finally checked this out.  I'm not sure 14 year old me would have been ready for it (even though I was roughly the same age as main character Angela, her life was a little more racy than mine.  SPOILER ALERT: There was a not a Jared Leto type pressuring me to have sex as a teen).

Freaks and Geeks - Inspired by many many tv-spirit guides to watch this, it seemed like the perfect transition after MSCL, to continue in the ways of teen angst. Totally worth it.  Main character Lindsey was highly relateable, and made me wish I had been a teen in 1980.  And I LOVED seeing all of these actors in their early years, and got me really interested in checking out some of their, and Judd Apatow's early stuff.

Rehab Addict - for something different, I got into a DIY show.  Friends had told me about this and I checked out the new ones on live tv, and then had to go back and watch the first 3 seasons.  Love Nicole's philsophy of restoring old homes "to their former glory."  Made me want to do all kinds of stuff to my house!

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - this was new last year but I hadn't watched.  After it won the Golden Globe I decided to check it out, and streamed the whole season as it was wrapping up live.  Actually much better than I expected and really enjoyable.  Lots of LOLs.

Undeclared - This was a one season comedy on FOX that Apatow did after F&G.  Not nearly as captivating, but was more entertaining than I thought it would be. 

Sports Night - I had always heard about this as one of the greats.  Never watched it when it was on, but my newly developed love for Sorkin, coupled with my mourning the loss of Josh Charles' Will Gardner made this the perfect time.  It was full of actors I love (and really fun to watch them in their younger years when they were all my age or younger), and of course, really well written.  The hardest thing about all of these one or two season shows that I checked out this year is the constant heartbreak of never seeing their stories come to fruition.  But, still enjoyed watching.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - Another 1 season show from Sorkin (with Bradley Whitford AND Matthew Perry - hello sarcasm dream team!!!).  This was another show I'd read a lot about, so came in with my view a little tainted.  I could see all of the great things and most of the criticisms I'd already read about, but echo my earlier comment that it was sad to not get to see what happened with these characters after 1 year.

My Boys - This was a TBS show from a few years ago.  Friends had told me it was entertaining, and I will admit it was knowing Reid Scott was one of the stars got me motivated to start (What?  Dan Egan as drift-about punk-loving dj?  I'm in!)  This was definitely harder to watch after a year of some more quality produced shows, but it was still entertaining.  I want PJ's life!

Orange is the New Black - Didn't get to this season's til recently - but it was just as good, if not better than the year before. (still not sure I'd qualify it as a "best comedy")

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - still working on 

this, probably will slow down with new shows starting, but am about half way.  I've seen many episodes here and there, but it's fun to watch them straight through.  These 4 are a constant mess, but I love it.  The ridiculousness abounds. 

Sporadic Rewatches:

Sometimes I don't have the energy to focus on something new, and want to watch something I've seen before.  It's the comfort food of tv.  This year I've sporadically rewatched:
Sex and the City

New Girl

Felicity

The Mindy Project (I did this all one weekend recently when I was sick. I maintain there is no other show on tv right now that makes me laugh harder or louder)

Well, that's it.  I watch a lot of tv.