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#tv recommendations
wanderinginksplot · 11 months
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What to watch during the writer's strike:
Don't pay attention to companies who blame writers for delayed movies and television shows! The WGA strike comes from people who are trying to make things better - not only for themselves and other writers, but the films and tv shows we all love.
While we wait for a resolution, I thought I would share some existing television shows that I enjoy. I didn't bother with too much well-known stuff. Instead, I focused on shows I feel many people missed because of the glut of content that all premiered at once over the last few years. (I may make another one of these for movies later on, but this one is about tv.)
[Update: Movie version here]
Feel free to add on! Just try to give a quick, spoiler-free synopsis for the show and the streaming service where it can be found.
List under the cut!
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Netflix:
The Good Place (2016-2020) - A 'bad' woman is accidentally sent to heaven. She and her moral philosophy professor of a soulmate try to save her soul by making her a better person. Genre: Comedy with deeper implications and one of the best endings in television history.
Russian Doll (2019-2022) - When Nadia dies at her birthday party, she's more than a little confused to come back. Especially when it keeps happening. Genre: Time loop drama with a wicked sense of humor and a dash of theoretical physics. Potentially not ended?
Narcos (2015-2017) - The fight of the American DEA and the Colombian army against cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar and his reign of terror. Genre: Drama with thrilling elements. Lots of violence, some sex and language. Lots of subtitles. Features Pedro Pascal and Boyd Holbrook, if you need some extra incentive.
Derry Girls (2018-2022) - Five teens grow up in Derry, Ireland in the 1990s, amid the final years of the Troubles, a low-level war that lasted roughly 30 years. Genre: Comedy. Some sexual content, some religious content, less violence than you would expect, and the best nun ever to appear on film.
Arcane (2021-?) - Two sisters are alienated when one accidentally kills their adoptive father. Their different paths threaten the fragile peace of a city already on the breaking point. Genre: Drama with elements of action-adventure. Though it's animated, Arcane's animation is beautifully done with tantalizing steampunk elements that will keep you invested.
Disney+:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-2020) - If you haven't seen any of the Star Wars animated series, this is a good place to start. Set in the time gap between Episode II and Episode III, this series helps flesh out Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi. It is also a great introduction to some of the characters and plots of The Mandalorian. (Star Wars: Rebels is another good choice.) Genre: Adventure with some drama. Violence and death are a large part of The Clone Wars, but it's usually appropriate for children. The clone troopers will steal your heart!
Gravity Falls (2012-2016) - Dipper Pines and his sister Mabel are sent to Gravity Falls, Oregon to live with their great-uncle for their summer break. But when Dipper finds a mysterious book in the woods, the pair find that Gravity Falls is far more mysterious than it seems... Genre: Adventure with a lot of comedy. Though it's billed as a children's cartoon, Gravity Falls is an intriguing watch with mystery subplots that will keep anyone guessing. It also features a famously strong and cohesive series ending. I was in my late 20s when I first watched this and I was still invested!
Daredevil (2015-2018) - After being blinded as a young boy, Matthew Murdock trained his other senses to replace the sight that he lost. He uses his skills to protect the helpless in the New York City neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen. Genre: Action and superhero. Features a lot of incredibly choreographed violence. (Jessica Jones is also an excellent show to watch, especially if you think of David Tennant as the consummate 'good guy'. He's got range!)
HBO Max (Just 'Max' now, I guess):
Ghosts (2019-2023) - Petty roommate squabbles don't stop just because you're dead! Alison and her husband Mike inherit a house, then a near-death experience allows Alison to see its ghostly inhabitants. Chaos and humor ensue as the ghosts try to adjust to the house's new owners. Genre: Humor. Ghosts is a British sitcom, but since the writers are comedians (writing and performing in Horrible Histories), the show is done in a style that feels more natural to American viewers. Hint: watch the BBC version, not the American one. They're fairly similar, but definitely not the same!
Pushing Daisies (2007-2009) - A pie-maker with the ability to bring back the dead helps to solve murders. He's helped by his once-dead childhood sweetheart. Genre: Comedy with some dramatic elements. Some of the CGI-heavy moments haven't aged particularly well, but the show has a unique premise and an incredibly talented cast!
Hulu:
Abbott Elementary (2021-?) - This mockumentary series showcases an inner-city elementary school in Philadelphia. The teachers and administration do their best for the kids, but they're constrained by budgets and the limitations of the educational system itself. Genre: Comedy mockumentary. Though Abbott Elementary is fictional, some of the issues brought up are all too real. This is a funny and incisive look at the American public school system.
Amazon Prime:
Fleabag (2016-2019) - The unnamed protagonist of the show struggles through life on her own with limited support from her alienated family and the memories of her recently deceased best friend. Genre: Comedy with lots of dramatic elements. Lots of sexual content and references, some language, breaking the fourth-wall, and several characters you just long to hit. I watched the second season in a single day, that's how good this was.
Unknown Streaming Service:
Black Sails (2014-2017) - This prequel to Treasure Island features elements from the book, original characters, and real pirates from history in a setting that emphasizes realism. Captain Flint and his crew search for a legendary prize... one that might allow them to claim Nassau for their own. Genre: Action and adventure. Think Game of Thrones, but with pirates. Incredibly well-written and well-acted with gorgeous scenery, LGBTQ representation, and just enough historical accuracy to keep things grounded. Black Sails also boasts one of the best endings ever given for a television show.
Like I said, please feel free to reblog and add your own television show recommendations onto this list! There are plenty of things to watch and plenty of ways to support the WGA strike that don't involve giving in to big studios.
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terapsina · 7 months
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Now that the writers and actors strike is about to begin being felt (and as we wait for those greedy billion dollar companies who are refusing to negotiate fair pay and conditions to give up) here's 10 of my favorite (all around best) fully finished older series you should definitely check out if you haven't watched.
I mean it, these are the shows with continuously great writing and a satisfying endings that manage to actually deliver on their promises.
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1. Leverage - (containing 5 seasons, or 77 episodes) - trailer here.
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Hitter, Hacker, Grifter, Thief and Mastermind. Heists and cons. Stealing from the rich and giving to their victims. They provide... leverage.
Meant for anyone who enjoys bad guys being the best good guys, who will burn down the lives of evil CEOs and then gloat in the background. Very satisfying.
Hands down the best example of a found family trope I've ever seen on screen. Barring none.
2. Killjoys - (containing 5 seasons, or 50 episodes) - trailer here.
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Space Bounty Hunters. Another case of found family trope. Bisexual space princess assassin. Quippy sentient ship. Green alien goo. Evil lesbians (but like... in a good way). The warrant is all.
More seriously though, it's a story about three killjoys and the bounties they go after. Initially. And then they have to save the entire Quad from some very terrifying... stuff.
Contains one of the best friendships I've ever seen on television.
3. Orphan Black - (containing 5 seasons, or 50 episodes) - trailer here.
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Found family trope but with clones.
Low level grifter sees a woman who looks exactly like her kill herself and plans to take over her identity long enough to cash out. Except then there's two other women who also look exactly like her. And apparently they're all clones and someone's killing them.
Enter a global conspiracy. Human experimentation. Lots of clone shenanigans. Some serial killings. And a few murders 💖.
4. Person of Interest - (containing 5 seasons, or 103 episodes) - trailer here.
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Okay I'm beginning to see how I might have a found family trope issue.
Former CIA agent gets recruited by a reclusive billionaire computer programmer who developed a... machine that can predict acts of terror before they happen. But it also predicts 'irrelevant' acts of violence that will result in someone's death.
Unless someone interferes.
I'd really like to spoil some stuff to get you all to watch this one. But I'm going to maintain self control and just mention that early on they get a dog named Bear. Bear is a very good boy. Watch it for Bear.
Also for excellent commentary on rights of privacy, government surveillance and what does 'greater good' even mean? But mostly Bear.
5. 12 Monkeys - (containing 4 seasons, or 47 episodes) - trailer here.
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The very best time travel show out there. What starts out as a confusing mess of causality basically exploding, by the end of the series all makes complete and total sense.
(when that final timey-whimey loop slid into place and revealed the entire pattern it was like a choir of angels started singing in the back of my head. It was freaking glorious).
Anyway, a man from a post apocalyptic future travels into the past to stop a plague from decimating nearly the entire world population.
He has the name of the man who released the virus and it's supposed to be a single trip. One trip. One bullet. Simple. Done.
Except then things keep escalating, and escalating until time begins eating its own tail and it might start looking like the end of the world might be a better ending than erasing all of time and space from reality.
Because when our guys screw it up, they screw it up GOOD.
And oh yeah... found family.
6. The Good Place - (containing 4 seasons, or 53 episodes) - trailer here.
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A self-proclaimed Arizona dirtbag opens her eyes and finds out that she's dead and got accepted in the Good Place. Except that as soon as she arrives the Good Place starts glitching, and she really, REALLY needs to become a better person before she can be found out and kicked out to the Bad Place.
Luckily her assigned soulmate was a professor of ethics and moral philosophy.
One of the funniest, most thoughtful and clever comedies I've ever watched. Ever. The characters are delightful and by the time the final minute rolled around I had sobbed my heart out multiple times (which, as we all know, is a sign of the very best comedies out there).
As for the question of whether or not this too contains Found Fami- Yes! Obviously, yes.
7. Avatar: the Last Airbender - (containing 3 seasons, or 61 episodes) - intro here (couldn't locate the trailer but it's basically the same thing in this case).
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The four nations lived in harmony. Until the Fire Nation attacked.
It's been a hundred years since the beginning of the war when two kids from the Southern Water Tribe find a boy frozen in ice and wake him up. A boy who's able to bend all four elements... though not very well.
Enter multi-nation flying road trip (thank you Appa, we love you most of all) as they try to find teachers for the Avatar and save the world.
Includes found family (shut up), amazing fight scenes, the most heartfelt and vivid characters ever, and the best example of a redemption arc actually done well.
8. Love Between Fairy and Devil - (containing 1 season, or 36 episodes) - trailer here.
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This one gutted me. I'm saying this as a compliment. But it had to be said. Completely destroyed me. I just haven't been the same.
A love story between an Orchid Fairy and the leader of the Moon Tribe that starts out with her accidentally releasing him from millennia long imprisonment and then takes you through the caleidoscope of all possible human emotions (it's a body-swap comedy through the first part, then a romcom, then a dramatic romantic tale, and finally a tragic love story).
But it's such a satisfying slow burn.
And it carries this... humanity through the whole thing that makes it so visceral.
If you're a romantic who's very tired of instalove and characters dropping all their morals because 'ooh, attractive person' then you've got to watch this. Because this story does NOT take the easy road there.
(my more extensive rec for this series can be found here)
9. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - (containing 7 seasons, or 133 episodes) - fanmade trailer here (it was better than any of the official ones).
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This series did so much. Introduced Ahsoka Tano, and made us love her. Gave names and faces and souls to the Clone Troopers (okay, it's the same face but you know what I mean), to a point where their endings during Order 66 destroyed me just as much as the ending of the Jedi Order. And somehow made me both love Anakin AND be a million times more angry with him.
There are some arcs in this series that might be a bit weaker. But there were some... god, there's a reason I love Clone Wars more than any other series or trilogy in this universe. And I'm not even a little ashamed to say it.
Must watch for Disaster Lineage shenanigans; for the vod'e; AND for the Jedi (who did their best okay? They always did their best 😭💔).
(and on the subject of found family... do I even need to comment)
10. Nikita - (containing 4 seasons, or 73 episodes) - trailer here.
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A rogue assassin that escaped Division - covert government agency that takes recruits out of prison, fakes their deaths and then forces them to become spies and assassins - has come back to take it down. Brick by brick if she has to. With guns and explosives too when that works better.
Contains soooo many cool fight scenes. Is full of incredible characters you'll fall in love with (and hate with) very quickly. And most of all has an incredibly complex relationship of mentorship and friendship between two women that holds both great admiration and betrayal, real care and love as well as rage and hatred, forgiveness, mutual respect and an unbreakable kind of bond that so very rarely involves even one female character on TV, let alone two.
(as usual, found family tropes up the wazzoo).
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In conclusion. We all know there's going to be a large space between seasons of our favorite shows now (and some shows that aren't going to survive it). Let's fill that space with some excellent TV we haven't had a chance to see yet.
And direct the blame for the wait towards the right place (i.e. the studios).
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ilikecrocssuckit · 4 months
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Mature Rated Animation Is Having A Moment
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Seriously, I watched both of these shows in the span of a month and they're both absolutely incredible. Both use animation to its fullest potential in terms of storytelling power that other visual media just don't have. I highly highly recommend both. Be warned that they are both mature for good reason, but so worth it. Enjoy.
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berrrbitch · 7 months
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Missing legends post…🫠
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beautifulmakkaris · 9 months
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If you're missing Lockwood and Co, don't despair! Here are some recommendations from fans of the show and books to help fill the void while we fight for season 2 - please share far and wide <3
All recs are from responses to this post, myself and things I've seen floating around the internet (ie, Goodreads suggestions/lists). Recs may be based on specific characters, ships, tropes, genres, worldbuilding or just general ~vibes.
Please make sure to check all content warnings before reading/watching any recommendations on this list.
Books (standalone)
Spellbound by F. T. Lukens
The Agency for Scandal by Laura Wood
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
This May End Badly by Samantha Markum
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood
The Hidden Dragon by Melissa Marr
Trouble by Lex Croucher
Books (series - *ongoing)
Shades of Magic by V. E. Schwab
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir*
Virals by Kathy Reichs
The Shades of London by Maureen Johnson
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
Jackaby by William Ritter
Charlotte Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro
The Checquy Files by Daniel O'Malley
Alex Stern by Leigh Bardugo*
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerry Maniscalco
Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen
Renegades by Marissa Meyer
The Diviners by Libba Bray
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Mokee Joe by Peter J. Murray
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens*
Letters of Enchantment by Rebecca Ross*
The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
Dreadwood by Jennifer Killick
The Empyrean by Rebecca Yarros*
The Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud
Ankh-Morpork City Watch (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett
The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Books (graphic novels)
Locke & Key by Joe Hill
Television series (*-ongoing)
School Spirits*
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Shadow & Bone
Wednesday*
Stranger Things*
CW's Nancy Drew
Shadowhunters
Locke & Key
The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself
Spooksville
The Midnight Club
Teen Wolf
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
Grimm
Please feel free to keep sending recommendations my way and I'll update this list as often as I can! Also let me know if you enjoy anything you found from this list, I'd love to know if you found it helpful :)
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daisymintt · 16 days
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Finished Renegade Nell a couple days ago and oh my gosh it’s sooo good! I can’t stop thinking about it!!! What a refreshing and original show! I really hope it gets a season 2, though I wish it had a few more fight scenes in it. Most of them are just in the first and the last episode. Overall though it’s a 10/10 show! Highly recommend especially if you like well written strong female characters, magic, Robin Hood, and Jack Sparrow-esque characters!
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cheesemenace · 28 days
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Anyone have any good show or movie recommendations with aro and/or ace characters (canon or fanon is fine)? preferably from the main cast because I need new characters to obsess over 👍
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unionize-aromantically · 10 months
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I've heard some people say to "just watch shows without sex" and that kind of stuff, but never any actual suggestions. and while I do think it should be allowed to show love, sexual, romantic and otherwise, I do have the impression 99% of media that isn't made for 7 year olds has romance, crushing and/or sex and even some of the stuff made for 7 year olds has it. especially if you count any romantic relationship shown or married people, but even if you ignore that.
do people have any recommendations of media (especially TV series) WITHOUT any sex, romance and crushing? (ideally without partnerships shown, but idk if that exists)
I haven't yet found anything that's in any physical store or library or streaming service, only Amazon books (I'm not getting something in the mail from outside my country the tax for that is like 100%).
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arielthedaydreamer · 3 months
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Fr why is it so difficult to find a trans male character in media who dates women?? Like, nearly every transmasc character I've ever seen in media is paired with other boys?? You'd think the mainstream sexualitytm would have the most representation but i can't find it :v
Any recommendations of media with trans men in a str8 relationship?
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I'm.
This is your.
FUCK ME GO WATCH DEADLOCH RIGHT NOW. It's so unbelievably.
Fuuuuck???? It's written and directed by the Kates, who also created the Katering Show. It's an Australian dark comedy-slash-crime drama. Episode six just came out on Amazon Prime and I cannot stop thinking about it.
It's just incredible.
Focuses around a big-city turned country-town cop, her wife, a detective from Darwin, a town with a population of probably less than 2000~ people, my personal favourite character Constable Abby Matsuda, and a string of murders. It's genuinely fantastic, I cannot recommend it more.
The language might be a bit much for some, the premise might be too gruesome for others, but I don't want to risk spoiling and I just cannot urge you to watch this show more desperately than this.
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thee-rat-king · 8 months
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Suits fans, I have not seen much of your show, however the draw appears to be morally ambiguous lawyers, interpersonal office drama, and homoerotic subtext. If this is the case, may I present
✨BOSTON LEGAL✨
It ran from 2004-2008 (5 seasons) it’s technically a spin off of The Practice but you do not need to know ANYTHING about that show to watch Boston Legal.
The revolving cast of Main Lawyers are varying degrees of morally ambiguous, many of them commit crimes at some point. There’s so much fucking office drama and 90% of it is actually engaging. And while there is A Lot of homoerotic subtext, there’s also a decent amount of homoerotic text. “I love you” and “you’re the most important person in my life” and “we’re sleeping together” and “will you marry me?” type homoerotic text.
^^ these quotes are all canon, and are between the Main Character and his best friend/mentor/life partner/the man who hired him when no one else would/the proposal is not a joke they get married in the season 5 finale.
I’m not kidding Boston Legal is like. THE best rep of a QPR I’ve even seen on television.
It’s also fun and goofy, has some great dialogue on living and aging and how people respond to terminal diagnoses, and a really interesting time capsule into early 2000’s American politics.
It also has NO CURRENT FANDOM! (other than me). And since Suits appears to be its closest cousin in television that does have fandom i’m very politely beseeching that some of you jump ship to one of the other deranged lawyer shows.
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This is Alan! Main character. Main lawyer guy. He’s funny and irreverent, does whatever he can to protect the disenfranchised and at one point he beats up a man for committing elder abuse.
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This is Denny! Denny Crane. He’s a named partner at the firm (Crane, Poole and Schmitt). He’s also Alan’s soulmate, and a republican which is so that the more liberal Alan can debate him, usually on The Issue Of The Episode. He also has early stage alzheimers, which develops over the course of the show. And yes, him and Alan are the most important relationship of the show. And they do get married in the finale. (Yes that’s William Shatner).
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This is Shirley!!! In Crane Poole and Schmitt, she’s Schmitt. She’s one of the most competent lawyers at the firm, and some of the best “women over 25 are hot and desirable” writing I’ve ever seen. (Most of the other main characters on the show are legitimately attracted to her, and it’s never treated as a joke. And she’s dated a lot of different men over her life and the narrative doesn’t slut shame her for it - the characters that occasionally do are always framed as In The Wrong.) she is very much The Voice of Reason to a lot of Alan and Denny’s antics.
There’s also a vibrant cast of partners, associates, assistants, clients, judges, exes, and cameos.
(Content Warning for This Was Written In 2004 And Some Things May Have Aged Poorly.)
Please dear god someone take the bait and watch this the cases are interesting the characters are funny I need the fandom to be more than Just Me.
Is there anything else I can add?
Alan tells the Supreme Court to go fuck itself in two seperate episodes. (There’s a lot of other stuff send me an ask if you want more Boston Legal is the best propaganda I fucking love this show)
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Happy viewing! (It’s on Disney+. Or wherever you get your shows.)
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akajustmerry · 1 year
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to the anon who asked me for recomendations of shows like Succession, I accidently deleted your ask while cleaning out hate from terfs sorry!! but my top ones would be:
I Hate Suzie (written and created by Lucy Prebble who is a writer and producer on Succession)
Bojack Horseman (referenced directly, visually and thematically in Succession, also very much about the corruption of a wealthy guy living with the aftermath of prolonged abuse, lots of commentary on Hollywood culture)
The Great (impeccably written bombastic political satire about the insular rule of Catherine the Great and her husband over Russia, pretty much the only show currently airing I think that rivals Succession in terms of writing)
The Thick of It (Succession creator Jesse Armstrong co-wrote a lot of this show, it's a chaotic satirical comedy about managing ministers in the British government, best if you like the intense comedy of Succession and wished it was turned up 70000 degrees)
The Newsreader (this is just based on vibes because the shows aren't obviously similar apart from being about media influence but I feel like if you like Succession, it'll scratch the same itch AND you get to watch Sam Reid and Anna Torv be Australian 🥰)
Murdochs: Empire of Influence (doco series about the Murdochs released last year, most thorough one I've seen about them and I've watched most of the ones that can be found, mandatory viewing if you think Succession is just fictional)
Please do not ask me for links or torrents, just search where to watch/download 💕
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moderndaymelodrama · 28 days
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since the bbc aren’t much help, i’m here to say if you’re a fan of camp horror comedies you should definitely watch “wreck” on the bbc! it’s got mystery elements, lots of cool plot twists; it’s super funny and bloody and very very queer!! the main characters are a gay guy and a lesbian and their friendship is very important to the show!
series 1 is all on iplayer in the uk and is a super fun watch, and series 2 starts tonight!! 10pm on bbc 3!! tune in & hopefully it’ll be one of the few gay shows to be renewed instead of cancelled! 🪓🏳️‍🌈
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fics-n-stuff · 2 years
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Heartbreak High honestly has the best representation that I think I've ever seen. Racial diversity and POC representation, queer rep including a non-binary person (an AMAB non-binary person which is so refreshing because so many people only think of non-binary people as being AFAB) and acespec rep, autism rep (an AUTISTIC GIRL which is so rare and I was so happy to see it, and played by an autistic actor). And it's also just SUCH A GOOD SHOW I LOVED IT. It was such a good and accurate representation of Gen Z, like I genuinely would believe that these people exist in real life. And the FASHION. MY GOD.
Please please go watch it because I really really need a second season it's just so good and it deserves more episodes. It's dramatic and comedic and serious and fun and just the right balance of realistic and entertaining.
Plus, on a personal note, because I really struggle with reading subtitles and the non-synching of dub I don't watch many things that aren't in English, and it was really nice to get a peice of media like this that is so absolutely non-American. It is so thoroughly and unapologetically Aussie and I loved it (I didn't understand all of it, had to google what eshay means, but I loved it).
Highly recommend.
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jak--ash · 7 months
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I LOVE 30 MINUTE EPISODE TV SHOWS!!!!! THAT IS THE PERFECT TV SHOW RUN TIME!!!!!!! PLEASE GIVE ME MORE 30 MINTUE EPISODE TV SHOWS TO WATCH!! <3
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shoutdontwhisper · 6 months
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Bodies on Netflix is great. It filled the time travel hole in me that Dark left. Stephen Graham is always a winner but the whole cast is excellent.
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