Must Watch Comedies
Psych
Psych
Comedy, Crime, Mystery year: 2006–2014 seasons: 8 creator: Steve Franks actors: James Roday Rodriguez, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernsen availability:
When a novice sleuth convinces the police he has psychic powers, he and his reluctant best friend are hired on as consultants to help solve complicated cases. wiki: Psych IMDB Psych
Psych is a fantastic crime procedural with clever writing interesting characters and great referential humor. The show centers around Shawn Spencer a super immature and aimless character with incredible abilities and eclectic knowledge base. Shawn gets forced into his natural calling as a crime solver using his amazing recall and keen observation skills to fake being a psychic. This is a modern day Sherlock Holmes. If this is one of the first shows you are choosing to watch understand that you will miss out on many of the references being made. As you watch more and more things you will remember them being referenced in this show. Since the show is fairly episodic it is not necessary to start with the first episode and push through. I say this in particular as the pilot is one of the weaker episodes and is longer than a normal episode. I highly recommend Season 3 Episode 16 “An evening with Mr. Yang”, Season 4 Episode 1 “Extradition: British Columbia” or one of the numerous themed episodes such as Season 6 Episode 2 “Last night Gus” based on “The Hangover”, Season 3 Episode 15 “Tuesday the 17th” based on “Friday the 13th”, or Season 4 Episode 15 “The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Episode” based on “Jaws”.
The show ran for 8 seasons with 120 hour long (42min) episodes and 3 movies.
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Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Comedy, Crime year: 2013–2021 seasons: 8 creator: Dan Goor, Michael Schur actors: Andy Samberg, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews availability:
Comedy series following the exploits of Det. Jake Peralta and his diverse, lovable colleagues as they police the NYPD’s 99th Precinct. wiki: Brooklyn Nine-Nine IMDB:Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Brooklyn 99 is a sitcom that takes place in a detectives unit of the 99th precinct. This is a very funny show with well developed characters that is not focused on the crime solving as much as the interactions between the characters with the “police” aspect being more of a backdrop. The show primarily focuses on the growth and development of “Jake Peralta” a very immature but capable detective. Because the show was canceled and later picked back up the last 2 seasons have a decidedly different feel and are slightly shorter. Can easily watch from the very beginning as the pilot is fairly strong but top episodes include S5.E14 “The Box”, any of the S1E16 “Halloween” Heist episodes, or any of the S1E12 “Pontiac Bandit” episodes.
The show ran for 8 seasons with 153 half hour (23 min) episodes.
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Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Comedy year: 2009–2015 seasons: 7 creator: Greg Daniels, Michael Schur actors: Amy Poehler, Jim O’Heir, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Adam Scott, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe availability:
The absurd antics of an Indiana town’s public officials as they pursue sundry projects to make their city a better place. wiki: Parks and Recreation IMDB: Parks and Recreation Parks and Rec is a sitcom about small town government in Pawnee Indiana. The show revolves around Leslie Knope the assistant director of the parks and recreation department. The show starts fairly slow with a 6 episode first season but then picks up significantly in the second season. The slow start is mainly due to the initial setup of leslie as an incapable fool similar to the Michael Scott character from The Office. After the first season the made a huge correction making her hyper capable and the show starts to improve dramatically. The show really jumps from good to great with the additions of Adam Scott and Rob Lowe at the end of the second season. The show has a widely entertaining cast from “Ron Swanson” her libertarian boss to the intern “April Ludgate” who dislikes everything, or “Tom Haverford” how is always running a side hustle.
The show ran for 7 seasons with 126 half hour (23 min) episodes.
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The Good Place
The Good Place
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy year: 2016–2020 seasons: 4 creator: Michael Schur actors: Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Ted Danson availability:
Four people and their otherworldly frienemy struggle in the afterlife to define what it means to be good. wiki:
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Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso
Comedy, Drama, Sport year: 2020–2023 seasons: 3 creator: Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Bill Lawrence actors: Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift availability:
American college football coach Ted Lasso heads to London to manage AFC Richmond, a struggling English Premier League soccer team. wiki:
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Must Watch Drama
The Wire
The Wire
Crime, Drama, Thriller year: 2002–2008 seasons: 5 creator: David Simon actors: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Idris Elba availability:
The Baltimore drug scene, as seen through the eyes of drug dealers and law enforcement. wiki:
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The West Wing
The West Wing
Drama year: 1999–2006 seasons: 7 creator: Aaron Sorkin actors: Martin Sheen, Rob Lowe, Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, Dulé Hill, Richard Schiff availability:
Inside the lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House. wiki:
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Killing Eve
Killing Eve
Action, Adventure, Drama year: 2018–2022 seasons: 4 creator: Phoebe Waller-Bridge actors: Jodie Comer, Sandra Oh, Fiona Shaw availability:
After a series of events, the lives of a security operative and an assassin become inextricably linked. wiki:
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Must Watch supernatural
Stranger Things
Stranger Things
Drama, Fantasy, Horror year: 2016–2025 seasons: 5 creator: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer actors: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder availability:
When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl. wiki:
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Supernatural
Supernatural
Drama, Fantasy, Horror year: 2005–2020 seasons: 15 creator: Eric Kripke actors: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver availability:
Two brothers follow their father’s footsteps as hunters, fighting evil supernatural beings of many kinds, including monsters, demons, and gods that roam the earth. wiki:
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Action, Drama, Fantasy year: 1997–2003 seasons: 7 creator: Joss Whedon actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan, David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Kristine Sutherland, Michelle Trachtenberg, Seth Green, Eliza Dushku availability:
A young woman, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends. wiki:
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