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Top Ten Tuesday: Television Series To Watch If You Are In Self-Quarantine


Many people in the United States and around the globe are forced to spend more time at home as the world waits out the coronavirus and tries to prevent it from spreading. Some of you might find yourselves with a lot of free time on your hands, in which case you might want to make time to watch a television series. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday lays out ten TV shows that have completed their runs. If you didn’t watch these series while they were on the air, they are the must-see shows that you can see from start to finish.

 

10. House of Cards

Network: Netflix

Years on Air: 2013-2018

No. of Episodes: 73

Where to Watch: Netflix

 

Twin Peaks is another option because there are just 48 episodes between the original series started in 1990 and the continuation in 2017, but House of Cards grabs the No. 10 spot among completed shows to watch, as it’s arguably Netflix’s crown jewel series. House of Cards gives a dramatized inside look at American politics.

 

9. Boardwalk Empire

Network: HBO

Years on Air: 2010-2014

No. of Episodes: 56

Where to Watch: HBO/Amazon Prime

 

Amazon Prime has a good number of classic HBO series as part of a Prime subscription, so you don’t even need an HBO subscription to watch—among them is Boardwalk Empire. The Prohibition-era series set in Atlantic City incorporates real-life gangsters such as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano into the story, and there are just 56 episodes (fewest on the list), so you might have a good chance to get through it.

 

8. Sons of Anarchy

Network: FX

Years on Air: 2008-2014

No. of Episodes: 92

Where to Watch: Hulu

 

Sons of Anarchy will take a while to complete with 92 episodes, but it’s one of those series that works well as something to binge. Following Jax Teller and the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, the FX series takes some notes from Shakespeare with its plot. The show also gives a small-town feel inside of Charming, California, which could be a plus for some viewers.

 

7. The Americans

Network: FX

Years on Air: 2013-2018

No. of Episodes: 75

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime

 

Sticking with an FX series, The Americans is a period spy thriller drama set during the Cold War, focusing on Philip and Elizabeth Jennings—two married KGB spies posing as normal everyday Americans living in the nation’s capital. The Americans gives a look at both sides of the espionage over the course of several years throughout the Cold War, and it’s available with an Amazon Prime subscription.

 

6. Mad Men

Network: AMC

Years on Air: 2007-2015

No. of Episodes: 92

Where to Watch: Netflix

 

Tied with Sons of Anarchy for the second most episodes on the list, Mad Men helped make AMC one of the most successful television networks for powerful drama. The series centers around ad man Don Draper and his associates and family in 1960s New York, so there is not a ton of action; but it’s a slow burn and well worth a watch if you have the patience.

 

5. The Sopranos

Network: HBO

Years on Air: 1999-2007

No. of Episodes: 86

Where to Watch: HBO/Amazon Prime

 

Like Mad Men, The Sopranos has a strong main character anchoring the story: Tony Soprano. Both the New Jersey mob and Tony personally deal with a ton of issues, and it all happens in a world with deep, entertaining characters that will have you laugh just as quick as they have you on edge. The Sopranos is available on Amazon Prime.

 

4. The Wire

Network: HBO

Years on Air: 2002-2008

No. of Episodes: 60

Where to Watch: HBO/Amazon Prime

 

In terms of realism in television history, The Wire might be at the top of the list, which is its main selling point—but the characters are very memorable. Each of the HBO crime drama’s five seasons dives deeper into a different theme and facet within Baltimore, but the constant was the tracking of the drug trade and police activity in the city. The Wire (also available on Prime) gets the edge over The Sopranos because it’s 26 fewer episodes, so it’ll be quicker to get through before the coronavirus situation is over (hopefully soon).

 

3. Breaking Bad

Network: AMC

Years on Air: 2008-2013

No. of Episodes: 62

Where to Watch: Netflix

 

Currently the top rated non-limited-series drama on IMDb, Breaking Bad is rarely a watch people regret. There are five seasons and 62 episodes of AMC’s hit drama, and it’s available in Netflix in 4K Ultra HD—if you have Netflix and a 4K television and have never watched, Breaking Bad should be near the top of the list. Breaking Bad is led by the unusual duo of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, as the two deliver plenty of high-stakes moments with a plethora of excellent secondary characters.

 

2. The Twilight Zone

Network: CBS

Years on Air: 1959-1964

No. of Episodes: 156

Where to Watch: Hulu/Netflix/CBS All Access

 

The Twilight Zone is in black-and-white, and four of the five seasons are 25 minutes long—the CBS classic is the most different show from the rest on this list, as it’s a groundbreaking anthology compared to a continuous series. However, many of the lessons are important, and when they aren’t, the episodes are surprising and entertaining. And The Twilight Zone is at No. 2 because recent events almost makes it feel like we’re actually living in it.

 

1. Game of Thrones

Network: HBO

Years on Air: 2011-2019

No. of Episodes: 73

Where to Watch: HBO

 

Finally, put anything you’ve heard about Game of Thrones’ final season aside: The HBO fantasy series is the must-watch television show in history if you haven’t seen it. Even if you end up not liking the final season like others, everything leading up to the end is still worth the watch. Using a an amazingly in-depth world of Westeros created by George R.R. Martin (whose A Song of Ice and Fire books are the basis of the show), GoT hits about every genre and theme including drama, politics, action, duty, family, honor—with fantasy on the outskirts of everything, not the focal point. The only downside is that you might want to take things slow if possible, as it’s better to watch with breaks to think about everything going on throughout the series, so maybe mix in other shows between seasons of Game of Thrones. But the bottom line is that if you haven’t watched Game of Thrones, do not hesitate to do so now.

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