The days are long, the weather is uninviting and you have some time off - Christmas, and winter in general, is the perfect time of year to dive head first into a new TV series, and we've picked out TEN of the best for your consideration.
I'm going to throw it out there before I begin, none of the shows listed are in any way obscure or unheard of, so if you're as much of a TV and Netflix addict as I am, you've probably seen most of the below. If you haven't then it might just be time for you to take the plunge and get binging because you're in for some major treats.
1. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
This show has a kind of cult status and is one of the best comedies around. It centres on Charlie, Mac, Dennis and Dee, four of the most awful people you'll ever come across, who co-own Paddy's Irish Pub in Philadelphia. Danny DeVito later joins the cast as Dennis and Dee's dad, Frank, and everything gets taken up a notch.
With episode titles like The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6, Charlie Kelly: King of Rats, The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby, Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender and The Gang Finds a Dead Guy the boundaries are really pushed to the point that literally anything could happen so suspend your disbelief and prepare to hurt from laughing.
After 10 seasons you might expect things to be going a bit stale, but the 10th season contained some of the best episodes of the entire show and they're showing no signs of slowing down. The best way to find out if it's up your street is to watch the first episode because you'll know if it's for you straight away.
Episodes: 114 | Status: Season 11 to premiere on January 6, 2016
2. Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights is based in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas where football and religion are the two main guiding forces. The local high school football team, the Dillon Panthers, have just been given a new coach, played by Kyle Chandler, who is without a doubt one of the most inspirational characters in any TV show. Coach Taylor takes no s*** and his pep talks and words of wisdom have carried me through many a hungover Sunday morning.
There's a feel good factor to the show and even when things go wrong, it pretty much always works out in the end. The last two seasons aren't a patch on the first three but it's just such a quality show and you invest so much in the characters that it becomes a bit of an emotional roller-coaster at times and compulsive viewing.
You might find yourself arguing with your friends over who is better, Riggins or Saracen (it's obviously Riggins), you'll definitely start incorporating the phrases Texas Forever and Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose into your daily speech, and there will be a gaping hole left in your heart when it all ends, but I couldn't recommend this show more. It's re-watch value is also outrageously high.
Episodes: 76 | Status: Finished
3. Orange Is The New Black
One of the most popular shows on Netflix is without a doubt their original programme Orange Is The New Black. Where most people caught on to this phenomenon after the first season, I was pretty late to the party and I've only just finished it. I don't know why it never appealed to me before but as soon as I started watching it, I was hooked.
The show centres on Piper, a girl convicted for her involvement in a drug ring 10 years ago, who ends up in the same prison as her ex-girlfriend. While she is the central character, we get to know each of the other core inmates through various flashback style episodes which gives the show a great ensemble feel and you start to really root for these girls.
While the subject matter may seem serious on paper, there is a great balance to the show and it's generally really light viewing, and I was surprised at how funny it was.
The storyline never get boring, the performances are always excellent and it's so easy to watch three or four episodes in a row and not realise where the day has gone. If you have yet to press play, I would urge you to give it a go - just don't watch it with the rest of the family because there's the odd sex scene that is always awkward viewing.
Episodes: 39 | Status: Season 4 due in 2016
4. Game of Thrones
It's the most illegally downloaded show in the world, and one of the highest rated and most addictive. It's developed such a loyal fanbase and is the topic of endless conversation and speculation, and you might think that 'Ah, it's not for me' but believe me, it's for everyone, and it's not too late to start.
If you began watching Game of Thrones around now, and paced yourself a bit, you could get through all 50 episodes just in time to watch it live in April for the next season - nothing like a goal to work towards! When I binged on the first two seasons I made the big mistake of starting it in July or August, not realising that it wouldn't be back for the guts of a year, and the wait almost killed me, so don't make the same mistake.
Based in the fictional kingdom of Westeros, Game of Thrones is full of political intrigue, family drama and action, and unlike many long-running shows, no character is safe and things are never predictable.
Just give it a watch, Winter is coming after all!
Episodes: 50 | Status: Season six to premiere in April 2016
5. Nashville
As the name suggests, Nashville is based in the home of country music, Nashville, Tennessee and it follows the lives, loves and careers of a group of country legends and aspiring stars.
Connie Britton plays Rayna Jaymes, the Queen of Country and daughter of the local mayor, who has a young starlet hot on her heels to replace her at the top. Each character is well developed, the cast are just so talented - they all do their own singing and some even write their own material, as well as being great actors - and the storylines are always packed full of quality drama.
After four seasons, Nashville is still compulsive viewing for me and its the kind of show you could watch at any point in the day and be in the mood for it. It has that feel-good factor too without being too cheesey.
Episodes: 74 | Status: Likely to be renewed for season 5
6. VEEP
There's a reason Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been winning the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series every year since the show's premiere - she is hilarious and VEEP is just incredible.
The show centres on Selina Meyer, the Vice President of the United States, and her staff, as they navigate the political sphere in Washington DC to hilarious effect.
There's not really a whole lot to say about the plot, but the scripting is excellent and most of the laughs come in the one-liners and asides so you do have to pay attention. The re-watch value is high as you'll notice things you missed out on the first time around.
Episodes: 38 | Status: Season 5 to premiere in 2016
7. Homeland
Homeland is a show I always suspected I would like but only just got around to watching, and I was right, I love it. The first season is spectacular viewing as an American soldier, who was held captive as a prisoner of war for eight years, returns to the United States but one CIA analyst doubts his loyalty and tries to find out if he is involved in a terrorist plot on American soil.
If you love spy thrillers, espionage and a good game of cat and mouse, Homeland should be right up your street. It even has Mandy Patinkin, so you know it must be good. Criminal Minds really was never the same after his departure.
I will warn you, the second season goes way downhill from the first, but things start to get really good again in season three so stick with it. By the time you get into season four, things have well and truly returned to the glory days of the first run and you'll fall in love with the show all over again.
Episodes: 60 | Status: Renewed for season 6
8. The Goldbergs
The Goldbergs was created by Adam F. Goldberg and the series is somewhat autobiographical and based on his own childhood growing up in 1980s America. It's a family comedy that will leave you laughing out loud and wanting more.
Airing in the US after The Middle, The Goldbergs shows just how good a family-based comedy can be and The Middle pales in comparison, because, frankly, it's just not that good. I'd hold The Goldbergs slightly below Modern Family, which is really high praise because I really love Modern Family.
Episodes: 56 | Status: Likely to be renewed for season 4
9. Grey's Anatomy
It's been on the go for a long time now and I've been with it since day one. No other show has tugged at my heartstrings quite like Grey's Anatomy and I dread the day it eventually comes to a conclusion.
Following the lives of a group of surgical interns (who grow up to be proper surgeons as the show goes on) in a Seattle hospital, there is a good mix of episodic storylines about the patients and long-running ones about the doctors and awh, I just love it.
It's never too late to start a show like this, and I kind of envy those of you that have the entire thing to watch for the very first time, you're bound to love every single one - actually, you'll love all but one of them because who ever enjoys the random episode of a show that involves the cast singing!? I like to forget that one happened, and I'd consider skipping it if I were you.
Episodes: 253 | Status: Likely to be renewed for season 13
10. Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy seems to divide people into two camps; those that love it, and those that really hate it. I fell into the former group and loved watching the drama unfold for the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club in the fictitious town of Charming, California.
From gun-running for the IRA to fighting over turf with rival clubs, there's never a quiet moment and if you discount a season spent largely in Belfast (the accents are among the worst I've ever heard, the music is horrifically cringey and it wasn't even filmed on location) it's pretty consistent viewing. Those Belfast episodes did nearly make me quit the show though, but trust me, if you can get through that it's worth it until the end.
The subject matter can get pretty dark and heavy, and as the seasons progress there is less and less light relief and the episode durations stretch out to over the hour mark, so it might be an episode a day kind of show as opposed to three or four.
Episodes: 92 | Status: Finished
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Now that I've given you a look at some of my own personal favourites, here are a few shows that aren't worth your time investment and if I could go back in time I would rather not have sat through.
Damages reads really well and was kind of intriguing at the beginning, and has a great cast, but I had to call it a day a couple of episodes into the second season, and I have never once regretted that decision.
The first season of The Killing (the American version of the Danish show) was excellent but sadly it suffered from being too dragged out. I watched every episode of this in order to get some closure but the final season is just plain awful, and the very end left me with my head in my hands because it was just so bad. The only saving grace was Joel Kinnaman - his character was the sole reason I stayed with it for so long.
Revenge held that soapy appeal for me, with enough drama to keep my interest, but dragging it out for so long was a big mistake and the only reason I continued to the end was to find out what was going to happen. Do yourself a favour and don't start it, it's not worth it.
I feel like I'm betraying Olivia Pope by saying this, but Scandal has had two pretty bad seasons and I just don't know if I would choose to watch it if I could have a do-over. I loved the first three seasons, like really loved, but the magic is gone and if the second half of season five (it's currently on a mid-season break) doesn't step things up in a major way, I would actually consider calling it a day and not bothering with a sixth season should it be renewed. I don't like to give up on a show I once loved, but sometimes you just have to make the tough call. Fingers crossed it returns to it's glory days.
Person of Interest came to my attention one summer when all the good shows were finished and I was in need of something new. I liked the episodic, crime-fighting nature of the show in a really mindless way, but then things got weird and I no longer give a hoot what happens to the characters.
Sinead Brennan
