Writers just keep them coming. Because of the rumours that other companies are up for competing with Netflix, they have released a lot of original shows, documentaries like no other and original international series with English subtitles. But ABC, Shondaland and the other TV networks are up for the challenge.
Here are shows worth binging on this 2019:
KINGDOM
An edgier Koreanovela with great cinematography and exciting storyline. Each episode leads you to another, hungry and curious. I have never been so excited with Asian series as much as now. Zombies, history, conspiracy, culture and politics altogether. Starting with the king dying and getting resurrected, something unimaginable had risen. And with a great wish for a long life for the kingdom’s ruler, came a huge sacrifice that the people should heed to.
SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT
If you like cooking and would like to learn through travel but budget is tight, allow Samin Nosrat to take you on her journeys in understanding these Four Secrets of Good Cooking.
How is it different from the other cooking shows? It talks about food, travel and fusion of cultures between east and west. Cooking was done locally and not very much staged like the others. The show involves people who teach Nosrat as she teaches us.
NETFLIX had done a beautiful job of making Samin’s food journal come to life. While it is published also in hard copy, getting a view of how she does everything gives it a different perspective.
FOR THE PEOPLE
If you have binged on Suits, Scandal, How To Get Away with Murder and are a fan of law, romance and debates, let the cast of this series inspire you to be confident. Rookies in court are the feature. Their experiences and growth are the limelight and trials, you might find yourself in awe and clapping slowly. Research and living through the knit and grit, For The People is like Grey’s Anatomy less sex, surgeries and drama. More on analytics, sarcasm and “it-is-what-is” scenes.
Still part of the Shondaland series, similarities to Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder may be observed. But the cases are fresher, more challenging and dialogue has never been this spontaneous as the sexiest series I know, Suits.
THE RANCH
Starred by Ashton Kutcher who plays as a retired NFL superstar, his injury had pushed him to retire early and to live back to his Dad’s ranch. With nothing to do but farming, his life spins around just like the old laid back days when he was still younger facing the reality that he had to step up anyhow as a grown up.
ANNE WITH AN ‘E’
A Canadian series written about a 13-year-old girl who have had miserable time in orphanages being maltreated and abused. Finally, at the time the Cuthberts, who lived in Prince Edward island, adopted her mistakenly, Anne faced challenges in proving herself for them to keep her.
Desperate to belong to a new home, she was able to convince them to keep her as they see how special she is with her strong spirit and imagination which gave life to their household.
As they developed fondness from her presence, they decide not to return her to the orphanage and she starts to live freely.
Allow her to bring you to a world of joy, limitless potential and unending horizon of flora and fauna with the friendship she developed in the island. In addition to her dreams that she consistently shows you in each episode, it encourages viewers to cling to hope.
YOU
The pilot episode starts with a bookstore manager entertaining an aspiring writer’s curiosity on a certain writer. Eventually, he falls in love with her which turns into a mad obsession eliminating everything and “everybody” that will try to keep them apart.
It becomes an interesting thriller series as he uses the social platforms to keep track of the writer’s whereabouts and activities. Her behavior that she constantly shares in the media gave him an advantage to predict her next move and for him to think about ways to be close to her. It’s creepy and it could happen to anybody. Even to you.
REIGN
This series features the youthful Mary, Queen of Scotts as having different kinds of life-threats from the beginning of her expected reign. From 2013, its first airing until 2017, episodes led to the endless battle between her and Elizabeth for the crown for England. It’s representation is not entirely the same as how history was so it’s good to have a rain check of how events had truly ended.
However, its screenplay is as moving as its sound effects. Its cinematography is as impactful as its costumes. And its scenes, as powerful as Mary’s will. It may have been shown way before, but you’ll love to binge on it. So if you haven’t seen it, make sure you include it in your list this year.
DIRTY JOHN
It’s very scary to realize that there are insane people whose guilt doesn’t exist in destroying other people’s lives. And it’s even scarier to know that the social media we use many times a day could be the very tool that could do this. With a lot of personal information shared online, being stalked and studied had become so accessible to felons like John.
As he spots Debra Newell, he charms her into getting deeply involved with him that posed serious threats to Debra’s family, career and over-all life. As he drains her of everything she had persevered surviving more than 3 failed marriages, Debra finds a way out through her daughters and takes refuge at the last minute of discovering how twisted of a rut she got herself into.
Based on a true crime, Eric Bana stars as John Meehan and Connie Britton as Debra Newell, who are both veterans in the showbiz industry giving this series a scary tangible outlook.
TIDYING UP WITH MARIE KONDO
Let Marie take you to a grateful journey towards tidying up by using the Konmari way, named after her own. She uses the principle of keeping not just what you need around the house, but anything that gives you joy. In this way, it helps you get rejuvenated and empowered every day.
The key way to do it though is to dispose of the opposite, the ones that doesn’t serve you at all. And as you bid goodbye to those that you need to let go, whisper a ‘thank you’ to each of them. Yes, to each. So if you have to let go of around 50 books, make sure you are able to say your proper goodbyes.
For some, they may take the teachings in her book rather odd. But that’s her way and you may find that it works for you. As promised, she says, when you practice what she teaches, your life will change for the better.
Marie shares a bit of her Japanese culture about tidying which is good to know. She speaks in Japanese in most of the Netflix episodes but her translator sends her messages just as impactful.
DYNASTY
If you liked Revenge, Gossip Girl, Arrow and Girl Boss, these are all joined in Dynasty. It talks about business, power and building an empire. Rich families’ secret to getting richer is their ability to invest and to get tips from the accounts they hold. They take care of their portfolio and they take calculated risks. But for you to develop these skills, being surrounded with minds alike could be one way.
Feed your mind with the terms, the deals that they make and the strategy they use and it might lead you to learning a thing or two when it comes to running your own business and dealing with businessmen and women alike.
911
The title says it all. A compilation of episodes based on real-life circumstances that allow you to learn a lot of things such as giving first-aid, initial steps to help in times of emergency and how to prevent disasters from happening.
And a different yet still powerful Angela Bassett, who can say no to that?.
Part of the entertainment is the drama twists but it’s 80% action and it’s a counter-balance for the rest of the series enlisted here.
WORKIN’ MOMS
To those who are curious on how working moms truly feel, this show could be a source of information. Or just for the moms who are actually working, have a good laugh with the familiar breast milk leaks, wanting to disappear and dealing with another pregnancy 8 months after the previous one.
Hilarious, sympathetic and laid-back. This is a good one if you’re just up for relaxing. Finally, it’s a series you and your fellow moms can enjoy over margarita during “me” time?!
