‘If sitcoms were easy to write, there’d be a lot of good ones, and there aren’t.’
– Alexei Sayle
One of the things which I really miss about the 90’s and early 2000’s is the quality of TV shows and cartoons we had back then. I remember how I loved watching Tu Tu Main Main, Hum Paanch, Remix and even cartoon shows like The Flinstones, The Jetsons and the likes. Television today is flooded with saas bahu sagas with ‘dhish-dhish’ screenplays. While sari clad women go to bed decked up with make-up and jewelry, I am left wondering about two things- Why don’t such rich women have proper nightwear and why the hell are TV producers torturing the audience with so much useless drama?
If none of the recent Bollywood releases have caught your attention and you are tired of the same old saas-bahu conspiracy theories on TV, here is the list of 7 TV shows which I think you must watch :
1. Revenge: An American soap opera based in the Hamptons. Emily Thorne rents a house in Southampton next to the Grayson’s to avenge the arrest of her father who was wronged by Victoria Grayson, the queen of the Hamptons social circuit. She goes on to take her revenge against all those involved in the conspiracy and finds herself caught between her emotions and her motives. The show has been a huge success so far and season 1 and 2 air on Star World Mon-Fri at 9 pm. The series has been renewed for a third season. The show has a very interesting plot and it gets your attention from the very first minute of the pilot episode itself.
2. Two Broke Girls: An American drama series which follows the lives of two roommates, Max and Caroline. Max hails from a family of very limited means and works at a neighborhood restaurant when she meets Caroline, a Wharton graduate who was a young New York socialite but is left poor because her dad is imprisoned for fraud. They embark on a journey, saving money for their own cupcake business. However, the show has a lot of jokes which are sexual in nature and could be distasteful for some. Season Two is starting on Star World and you can catch season one episodes online.
3. Californication: The show is about Hank Moody, a novelist who juggles with his career and the women in his life. It features his journey with love, sex, drugs and responsibility, all with extreme and absurd comedy. It has a refreshing plot when compared to many other current sitcoms and that is the USP of this show. The show’s sixth season just ended and is renewed for the seventh. The first five seasons got rave reviews however the sixth season wasn’t as successful and was cast as repetitive by most critics. So go ahead enjoy the first five seasons which are a pleasurable watch throughout.
4. Game of Thrones: If fantasy is what entertains you the most, then this American epic fantasy television drama series will sure get you hooked to your laptops. Being one of the most successful TV shows internationally, it interweaves several plot lines with several noble families fighting for the mythical land of Westeros. Currently running on its third season, it has officially been renewed for a fourth season which would air in 2014. With magnificent sets and brilliant costumes, it is a mesmerizing realization of another world. Welcome to the realm where “all will play the game of thrones.”
5. F.R.I.E.N.D.S. : For me, any television list is incomplete without F.R.I.E.N.D.S. The show which expediently became a part of the American pop culture. Ranked 21 in TV guide’s best 50 shows of all time. There is no other show which can match the effortless comedy and replace the place this show has in not just our laptops but also our hearts. The show was first aired in 1994 and went on for ten seasons. It has been twenty years since the show started and still the magic of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. never fails to bring a smile.
For those who haven’t watched it yet, here is the classic description the show: it revolves around the lives, laughs and loves of six young friends in Manhattan.
You can never have enough of Central Perk. Could there be anything better than watching FRIENDS with a tub of ice-cream or a large pizza?!
6. Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai: It is one of the best Indian family comedies in recent times. Based in Mumbai, the show is about Maya Sarabhai, an elite socialite whose son Sahil, a plastic surgeon marries a middle class girl Monisha. Laughter riots ensue when Maya and Monisha who are as different as chalk and cheese live next to each other. Indravadhan Sarabhai leaves you laughing as he bullies his son Rosesh for his awkward poetry and acting. While most of you must have watched the show, for those who still haven’t, do watch it for Maya ranting about her stereo-typically middle class daughter in law and for Rosesh’s poems for every situation.
You can watch it on Star Classics, a new channel on YouTube with full episodes of the most popular shows from Star Plus.
7. Gossip Girl: If you are looking for a light hearted show then Gossip Girl is not meant for you. The show revolves around a bunch of privileged Manhattan high school goers. The first two seasons feature their lives in Constance, the elite high school in New York. The plot is full of scheming, drama and high end lifestyle. Society parties, galas, exhibitions and sumptuous brunches become a playground to manipulation, cheating, revelations and confessions. The series concluded recently with its sixth season and was very popular with the audience.
Blaire Waldorf is the daughter of a high society designer, Eleanor Waldorf and is childhood sweethearts with Nate Archibald until he sleeps with her best friend Serena Van Der Woodsen. Also as main leads are Chuck Bass, the ignored son of a rich industrialist, Dan and Jenny Humphrey as middle class Brooklyn residents struggling their way in Constance.
The plot is very interesting but don’t be shocked when you find everyone sleeping with everyone. I watch it for the delicious pancakes, waffles and parfaits they have for breakfast everyday!