Seven TV shows you should be watching if you’re a King’s student
Sometimes it seems students at King’s have a codified (pop) cultural language surrounding shared television favorites. In case you can't tell your Ron Swansons from your Don Drapers, here are the shows you should be watching in order to be "in the know":
- Mad Men
Rumored to be President Thornbury’s favorite show, this AMC drama follows the life and times of Don Draper, a ritzy ad man with a murky past working on Madison Avenue during the 1960s. King’s students and faculty alike rave about the complexity of the characters and script (though most will agree that the male characters do not conduct themselves in a Kingsian manner). Throw in the nostalgic Manhattan scene, impeccable fashion and office scandals, and this one’s sure to be worth delaying homework for.
Season 7 will probably premier sometime in April, but in the meantime, there are six seasons to indulge in. Netflix beckons...
2. Arrested Development
So the show’s over (they’ve told us this one before), but this dry-humored, postmodern comedy will live on in Kinsian inside jokes. You can make friends by shouting out, “There’s always money in the banana stand!” (try it out--it works), and the episodes are short enough that you can watch five without feeling bad about yourself.
3. Doctor Who
This show is a cult--King's students have tried running away from its draw, only to find that they were just prolonging the inevitable. Either join or expect to have to excuse yourself from many conversations. You will have no idea what is happening unless you watch the show. Two words: The Tardis.
There will be a 50th anniversary episode this Fall and a Christmas special. Stay updated, or stay away...
4. Downton Abbey
Fans of the show claim it’s not like Pride and Prejudice, but basically if you like period dramas, this one’s for you. Though the show follows a wealthy family during the breakdown of the British aristocracy, the servants' lives provide the most intrigue. Fair warning: a lot of people die (apparently a lot of the actors needed to be written out of the show), so imagine you are in an American colony during the 1600s, and don’t get too attached.
Season 4 will premier January 5, 2014. Mark your planners.
5. Big Bang Theory
Everyone can enjoy this show. It features funny nerds who don’t take themselves too seriously--imagine that!
Season 7 premiers September 26. Bazinga!
6. Sherlock
Unlike with Arrested Development, you have to carve out time to watch these episodic masterpieces. Running at approximately 90 minutes each, these contemporary versions of the mystery stories successfully modernize an oft-retold tale. Also, Benedict Cumberbatch’s cheekbones - need I say more?
Expected to premier January 2014.
7. Breaking Bad
Ever wonder why, after seemingly limiting your daily sins to white lies and little acts of negligence or frustration, you wake up and realize you're a depraved human being? This show explores the nuances of human nature through the small choices that lead an average man to open and run a meth lab. Find out why everyone is saying that Breaking Bad is just sooo good!
Watch all these shows instead of working on homework, and you are sure to feel like a King’s student in no time. Then again, if you're not doing you're homework, you're probably not a true King's student...it's a harsh world that we live in.