My Top Three: TV Shows

Talking about the things I like other than the scope of books and writing is a refreshing change. But, have you ever had a headache and tried writing? Then you know how I’m feeling as I type this out. Well, a promise is a promise, so here’s the first post of the ‘Get to Know Me Better’ series.

The greatest paradox is that I’ve hardly watched TV since 11th grade. Right now, the TV is blaring upstairs and I’m trying to block it out as I write. The truth is, I don’t like the shows that come on the channels we’ve subscribed to. Rather, the shows I like to watch all air in channels I don’t get, so I do the next best thing – watch them on my laptop.

There are two genres that I really enjoy watching – comedy and crime. I also watch fantasy (of course!) such as Game of Thrones and Once Upon a Time. I recently finished Cosmos and loved it too. The beautiful visuals were such a treat! The only parody-type sitcom I like is Community (the last season not so much). I am a fan of Homeland and House of Cards as well. A close second in the British TV series category would be Top Gear – it’s a lot of fun for a car enthusiast like me. After that basic introduction, let’s look at my top three.

1. Friends

I can already hear my Seinfeld-loving friends groaning, so forgive me because I haven’t yet gotten around to watching that one. However, till date, this is the best sitcom I’ve watched. It was the perfect blend of emotional and funny. My best friends think I’m similar to the character of Monica because.. uh.. I’m obsessive about a few things (not cleaning!) and I like being the hostess. (Actually, it’s because I don’t like stepping out of my house, but they don’t need to know that, right?) I’ve watched most episodes multiple times – I’m that much of a fan! According to me, the funniest episode is The One with Joey’s New Brain (7×15). Three of the most important lessons I learnt from Friends would be that it’s okay to be nerdy courtesy Ross, that people grow up to be a lot different from their high school selves courtesy Rachel, and that it’s fine to believe in certain things courtesy Phoebe.

2. White Collar

The TV character I love the most is Neal Caffrey, so it’s not surprising that this show made it to the list. I was initially intrigued by the ‘con artist who helps the FBI with their high-profile cases’ premise. Caffrey, portrayed by the amazing Matt Bomer, is the perfect criminal with a good heart. It’s different from other police dramas because Neal is a thief through and through, which adds to the conflict in interesting ways. Double crosses, secrets and devious ploys form a major part of the plot. I love the entire cast, be it the enigmatic Mozzie, the charming Elizabeth or the whip-smart Sara. Proof of my fangirl status can be found in the (still unfinished) fanfic Good to Be a Little Bad.

3. Sherlock

British TV series totally deserve a different category, right?

I am hopeless when it comes to anything Sherlock. I found the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle to be brilliant, Robert Downey Jr.’s performance was stunning in the silver screen adaptation, John Lee Miller’s portrayal in the modern American version was one of the best things about it and then there is Benedict Cumberbatch – what’s not to like? In all fairness, I also love Martin Freeman as John Watson (and as Bilbo Baggins, with Benedict as the dragon – but I digress). The fact that I hate that there only three episodes in each series is a testament to just how good the show is. I really admire the way it manages to capture all the strangeness and genius the literary Holmes possesses and still make the character endearing, for he is a difficult man to like. Moriarty’s presence is more central to the narrative and it’s a good thing because Andrew Scott does a truly unique job. Talking about this is making it that much harder to wait for Series 4 (also, my headache is flaring up again), so I’ll stop my ramblings here.

---

What does your top 3 look like? Do they overlap with mine, maybe just a little? Also, what are your thoughts on these shows, if you’ve watched them? If you have any other questions for me that you’d like answered in subsequent posts, let me know via the comments section below.