1. The People v. O.J. Simpson on FX

The first season of the highly coveted American Crime Story on FX covers the racial and political imbalance of the O.J. Simpson murder trial in the mid 1990’s. FX does a fantastic job of showcasing the effects of race on the trial (especially the jury), the barriers that are thrown up between people of the same race in regards to their stance on Simpson’s guilt or innocence, and the effect of media on a trial.

2. Breaking Bad on Netflix

If you look on any list on the internet claiming to know the best TV shows to watch, Breaking Bad will most likely fall into the top spot on most occasions. Breaking Bad is so good, that at several times during the series, the viewer will find themselves sympathizing with the ultimate meth cook, the ultimate criminal and the ultimate villain. For those of you who have seen Breaking Bad already, it’s only fair to check out the offshoot AMC series, Better Call Saul (which you can find on Netflix).

3. The Office on Netflix

If you have yet to watch The Office, I would highly recommend binge watching it on Netflix. The Office is the kind of show that you just can’t help but love. It’s hilarious, mostly because Steve Carrell is the man. Every single one of the characters on this NBC show has their reigning moments, and every single one of them are relatable in some sense (even the highly strung Angela Martin). The first season may not seem promising, but the second season hits the ground running.

4. Making a Murderer on Netflix

Undoubtedly the most controversial show of late 2015, Making a Murderer follows Steve Avery, a convicted criminal from Wisconsin (which is just right over the border!) who spent eighteen years in prison for sexual assault and the attempted murder of Penny Beerntsen. After eighteen years, Avery was released and sued Manitowoc County for “wrongfully accusing him”. The series is controversial in itself because many viewers of the show believe that Avery is guilty and was wrongfully released.

5. The Vampire Diaries on CW (and Netflix)

The Vampire Diaries is the ultimate guilty pleasure television show. TVD follows the lives of the Salvatore brothers and their love story with Elena Gilbert. As you may not be surprised, TVD involves vampires but it is nothing like the slow-burner Twilight. The Vampire Diaries is still airing on the CW network, and can easily be accessed on Netflix and Hulu.

6. The Real World on MTV

Most ‘best shows’ lists stay clear from reality TV shows, but – sorry – not this list. MTV searches the country for seven(ish) young adults to live in a luxurious home together for a couple months. Obviously they don’t choose shy, meek people, so the house is charged full of hot-headed men and women who love to go out and argue with each other. The best thing about this show is that no one on the show allows for MTV to artificially create a backstory or a situation to make the show more dramatic. It’s real life, real people, and real situations. It’s The Real World.

7. The Challenge on MTV

MTV is stock-full of diamonds in the rough, and The Challenge is definitely a show that is overlooked within the teenage demographic. The Challenge takes fan-favorite cast members from past Real World seasons and puts them in an even larger house, in another country, and pits them against each other. It’s sort of like Survivor, however the contestants don’t have to try to survive in the wilderness. The Challenge has different types of seasons every year. The last season was The Challenge: Battle of the Bloodlines where past Real World contestants brought their family members on the show and were pitted against each other. The season before that was The Challenge: Battle of the Exes II where contestants were paired with their exes and fought to win the $750,000 ultimate prize. MTV is just wrapped filming the twenty-eighth season in Huatulco, Mexico.

8. Game of Thrones on HBO

Now this one is a bit of a cheat. I have not seen this show before, but I have heard endless amounts of people speak so highly of the show. I know very little background of the show, but I do know that it is the ultimate fantasy television show that incorporates bloodlines, romance and war. I cannot wait to watch the show and I know I will not be disappointed.

9. Criminal Minds on CBS (and Netflix)

The only criminal based television on the list, Criminal Minds stands out from the legions of crime shows all over cable-tv. Criminal Minds has a fantastic cast that taps into criminal minds in order to solve some of the most gut-wrenching  crimes of the modern day. Many of the crimes on the show are based off of notorious criminals, making the show even more exciting to watch as imitation is addicting.

10. House of Cards on Netflix

Netflix has recently been in the news in regards to their growing number of original shows entering their programming, but House of Cards was the pioneer Netflix Original Series. House of Cards dives into deceit and manipulation and what goes on beyond the public eye in the world of politics. Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright (Buttercup from The Princess Bride– yes you know who she is) have perfect chemistry that makes them a star-crossed pairing. House of Cards has recently been renewed for their fifth season, due to release in 2017.

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