- Orange Is the New Black (4 seasons)
The series OITNB is about Piper Chapman, a woman who has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for smuggling drugs for her friend Alex Vause. In the episodes you see what she experiences in prison and how she deals with it. You can also see how her family and her fiancé deal with the fact that she is in prison. Every episode they show a flashback of one of the prisoners, which explains why she ended up in jail.
I think it's a nice series to watch, the episodes are very long (about 1 hour). It is a funny series, which also contains some 'vulgar' pieces. You should not be averse to nudity, because that happens regularly. I also find it very interesting to see how it goes in prison. You also see that there is a difference between whites, blacks and latinos.
- New Girl (4 seasons)
This American sitcom is about Jessica "Jess" Day, who is looking for a new apartment. She comes to live in an apartment with bachelor 3 men: Nick, Coach and Schmidt. After the first episode Coach moves and Winston comes to live with them. In the series you see the daily life of roommates and of Jess's best friend, Cece.
It is a funny series, from which you can also watch the episodes separately. There is a storyline in it, but you can usually follow it if you have missed a few episodes. The characters all differ a lot from each other, which makes it fun. Everyone deals with their emotions differently.
- Under the Dome (3 seasons)
Under the Dome is an American science fiction / drama series. The town of Chester Mill is hit by a serious disaster. A dome closes the town from the outside world. They must survive in the dome. And if that is not difficult enough, there are also riots and quarrels. A number of residents also try to find out how the dome has arisen, and they try to lower the dome.
It is a very exciting series and highly recommended! There are a lot of plottwists and sometimes very unpredictable. If you like exciting series and / or science fiction, I would definitely watch it.
- Riverdale (1 season, a new episode every week)
This series is only new on Netflix, there are only 6 episodes on it. Every Friday comes a new episode. The series is about a town, Riverdale. The popular teenager Jason Blossom is murdered and that creates the necessary tension in the village. Betty Cooper wants to find out who killed Jason. She does this together with Jughead, with whom she works for the school newspaper. Jughead is the 'narrator' of the story. Meanwhile that everything happens, he writes a book about it. Not only the murder of Jason Blossom is told, you also see the problems of the teenagers themselves. For example, Archie Andrews is in a dilemma between football and music. Veronica Lodges is just new at the school and her father is in prison. Betty's sister was Jason's fiancée and is now in an institution because her parents did not approve of their relationship. So it is a series with many storylines.
I think it's an exciting and fun series. If you do not feel like watching seasons, you can still watch and then watch an episode every week. A lot is happening in the series, so you're never bored! It is definitely recommended.
- Modern Family (6 seasons)
This American comedy series is about a large family that consists of three families. Jay Pritchett is the head of the family. He is married to the much younger Colombian Gloria Delgado. She has a son from a previous marriage, Manny Delgado. Jay has a son and a daughter. His son, Mitchell, is gay and has a friend, Cameron Tucker, with whom he has adopted a daughter, Lily. Jay has trouble with the orientation of his son. The daughter of Jay, Claire, is married to Phil Dumphy. They have three children together: Haley, Alex and Luke. In this comedy you see the life of the family, which produces hilarious and recognizable moments.
Like New Girl, it is a funny series that you can watch without actually following it. Because it is a combination of a sitcom and a mockumentary, it is just different from a regular sitcom. In between, pieces can be seen in which it seems as if they are being 'interviewed'. It was therefore the intention that a Dutch exchange student would live with Mitchel and Cameron, who would then make a documentary about the life of the family. They did not do this later, but you can still see the documentary-like pieces.
- Gossip Girl (6 seasons)
Gossip Girl is an American drama series, based on the book series of the same name. It is set in the Upper East Side. It is about a group of rich teenagers who are about to go to one of the best universities. But there is someone who does not make it easy for them: Gossip Girl. She distributes all the latest gossip, by phone. As soon as someone has seen or heard something, Gossip Girl knows and everyone immediately receives a text message with the latest news. This creates many mutual tension. On the way, they also try to find out who Gossip Girl is, but in the first few seasons this is not very obvious. It is mainly about the lives of the rich teenagers, and the outsider: Dan Humphrey. The teenagers most affected by Gossip Girl are: Queen Bee Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf, Nate Archibald, Chuck Bass, Dan Humphrey and Jenny Humphrey.
The series has funny moments, exciting moments and moving moments. I thought it was a very nice series to watch. I found it interesting to see how life is in the Upper East Side. Especially for the ladies, highly recommended!
- The Blacklist (3 seasons, )
The Blacklist is an American crime series that tells the story of top criminal Raymond Reddington. He surrendered to the FBI and wants to cooperate by giving a list of top criminals who are not known to the FBI or CIA, the Blacklist. But that cooperation is on one condition: he only wants to work with Elizabeth Keen. Every episode, one person from the Blacklist is arrested. The big question remains, of course: What is the relationship between Reddington and Elizabeth Keen?
Because you are constantly wondering what the relationship is between Reddington and Elizabeth, it remains exciting. I also personally like crime series, and this crime series has something extra. It is not only about solving crimes, but also about Elizabeth's personal relations, for example the relationship between Liz and her husband and the relationship between Liz and her father. Reddington also tries to take advantage of every case, every Black Lister. All Blacklisters are on the Blacklist for a reason. So if you like crime series, or exciting series in general, it is highly recommended!
- Gilmore Girls (7 seasons + 1 season Gilmore Girls: a Year in a Life)
This American drama series is about a mother and her daughter: Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Lorelai got Rory when she was sixteen, making her relationship different from the normal mother-daughter relationship. Lorelai, after she gave birth to Rory, started working and living at the Independence Inn because the relationship with her parents was bad. If Rory wants to go to a better and more expensive school because she is very smart, Lorelai needs money and beats to her rich parents. They want to lend her the money, but only if they come to eat every Friday night. Lorelai agrees, reluctantly. The series mainly revolves around the special relationship between Lorelai and Rory. What comes back a lot in the series: coffee drinking at Luke's dinner, Friday night dinner, Chilton (the school where Rory goes), the Independence Inn, personal relations and later the university where Rory goes.
Gilmore Girls is one of the nicest series I have ever seen! I was therefore very happy when there was another 8th season: Gilmore Girls: a Year in a Life. This was a nice addition to the end of the regular series. I hope they will make another season (#lastfourwords). The nice thing about the series is that Rory and Lorelai have a special relationship, they are like best friends. Also the other characters are very nice, like Luke (the introvert owner of Luke's dinner), Lane (Rory's best friend, she has a strict Catholic Korean mother), Miss Patty (the local dance teacher) and Sookie (the clumsy chief of the Independence Inn).
- Pretty Little Liars (7 seasons)
This American teenage drama / mystery television series is about a group of friends: Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily. Their best friend Allison has gone missing and then they find out she was killed. At the funeral they receive a strange message from -A. This is not the last message they will receive. A continues to send them messages in which they are threatened and blackmailed. Because A knows all their secrets. And it is not only with messages. A also stalks them and tries to hurt them. A makes their lives a real hell. They do not dare to go to the police and want to solve it themselves. They are getting closer to the truth and are finding out more and more about the disappearance and murder of Allison.
This is one of the most exciting series I have ever seen. It works well, but some things are too far-fetched I think. Yet it remains a good series. You want to know who A is. The Liars' relationships are also fun and perhaps sometimes somewhat inappropriate (#Ezria). This is highly recommended! On April 18 the last season of PLL will appear, in which it will be clear who is Uber-A (yes there is an Uber-A).
Another nice fact for the PLL and Gilmore Girls fans among us: PLL is partly included in Stars Hollow!
- How I With Your Mother (9 seasons)
How I With Your Mother is an American sitcom in which Ted Mosby tells his children how he met their mother. It starts with the meeting of their aunt, Robin Scherbatsky. Ted is hopelessly in love with her and steals a blue horn for her. Ted lives with his friend from the university, Marshall Eriksen. Marshall has a girlfriend who also lives with them: Lily Aldrin. Together with Barney Stinson they form a group of friends. The story consists of many funny, but sometimes also emotional moments that they have experienced as a group. Sometimes a hint passes over the mother, but the real encounter with the mother only comes in the last few seasons. Despite that, many hilarious, but also emotional things happen.
What I find the most amazing about the series is that it is so incredibly well put together. Something that happens in episode 2 can come back 5 seasons later. An example is the slapbet, a bet between Barney and Marshall where the loser may beat the other. The winner eventually gets 5 blows, which he can hand out whenever he wants. This slapbet comes back every season, until the last episode. I also love the characters. Ted is a hopeless romantic, Barney is a woman-addict (with lots of catch phrases like: "It's going to be legend ... WAIT FOR IT ... dairy!" And "I've got one rule ..."), Robin is a Canadian with a secret (I will not tell you yet;)) and Lily and Marshall are the best couple there is. If you are looking for a nice sitcom, then look at this series! The best series that I have seen.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and got inspired to watch one of these series. Let the reaction know which of these series you look at and enjoy it. Let me know which series I could still watch, suggestions are always welcome! I hope we can help each other in nice new series! ;)