We are living in a golden age of TV, right here, right now.
If we were given $1 for every time someone said, “I need a new TV show to watch back-to-back all weekend”… Well, we’d have enough money, probably, to pay every single cast member of The West Wing to reunite for another few seasons.
Here are the most important, brilliant TV shows you need to be watching right now.
1. VEEP
What’s it about? The hilarious Senator Selina Mayer becomes Vice President of the U S of A. The show is about her and her staff as they try to make it work in Washington. It’s sort of like 30 Rock got The West Wing pregnant.
Who’s in it? Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky and Tony Hale.
What season are we up to? Three.
Trophy cabinet? The show has been thrice nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys. Louis-Dreyfus has won three Emmys, a SAG Award, and two Critics’ Choice Awards for her performance.
2. SUITS
What’s it about? A brilliant college drop out agrees to deliver a case of cannabis to pay his grandmother’s nursing home fees. He is then hired by one of New York’s best attorneys who realises that he is being used a as a pawn in a police-orchestrated drug bust. It’s Boston Legal with more drug dealing mates and trips to Vegas. There’s a surprisingly large amount of legal information thrown in, too.
Who’s in it? Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, and Sarah Rafferty.
What season are we up to? Four.
Trophy cabinet? Adams was nominated for Most Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series at the SAG Awards back in 2011.
3. HOUSE OF CARDS
What’s it about? An American recreation of a ’90s British show, House of Cards follows Congressman Frank Underwood and his wife Claire as they enact revenge on the cabinet members that have wronged him. The show is Netflix’s most successful program and its episodes (known as ‘chapters’) are all released at once, making it perfect for binge watching.
Who’s in it? Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Kate Mara.
What season are we up to? Two.
Trophy cabinet? House of Cards was the first online-only television series to be nominated for mainstream awards. Its first season received nine Emmy nominations; its most recent season bettered that with 13.
4. GIRLS
What’s it about? Hannah Horvath is “the voice of her generation”. An aspiring writer with a liberal arts degree who’s only just realising that she might need to pay rent, the show follows Hannah and her friends as they try to make sense of the adult lives they should have taken on three years ago.
Who’s in it? Lena Dunham, Allison Williams and Jemima Kirke.
What season are we up to? Three.
Trophy cabinet? The show and Dunham both won Golden Globes in 2013. Girls has been a common nominee on the award show circuit since.
5. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
What’s it about? Piper Chapman is sentenced to 15 months prison after being convicted of a decade-old drug importing offence. When asked why people should watch her favourite show, our ROGUE editor Rosie Waterland gasped for 40 seconds before shouting, “It’s just incredible female-led comedy!”
Who’s in it? Taylor Schilling, Kate Mulgrew, Laverne Cox.
What season are we up to? Two.
Trophy cabinet? Eight Emmy nominations this year and three wins (including one in the ‘Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series’ category, for which the show received three nominations). Laverne Cox’s nomination in the same category was the first ever received by a transgender person.
6. PLEASE LIKE ME
What’s it about? Josh. A young Australian going through the process of coming out as gay. If you loved Josh Thomas on Talkin’ Bout Your Generation, you’ll love him in his personal project, which is started to gain traction overseas.
Who’s in it? Josh Thomas, Debra Lawrence and Caitlin Stasey.
What season are we up to? Two.
Trophy cabinet? AACTA for Best Television Comedy Series this year.
7. UTOPIA
What’s it about? A group of Londoners find themselves in possession of the manuscript of a cult graphic novel, that apparently has predicted various disasters of the last century. While on the run fromThe Network (the bad guys who want the manuscript), the group must decipher the rest of the manuscript’s clues before its predicted disasters eventuate.
Who’s in it? Fiona O’Shaughnessy, Alexandra Roach and Nathan Steart-Jarrett.
What season are we up to? Two.
Trophy cabinet? Four BAFTA nominations.
8. JUSTIFIED
What’s it about? After a controversial but “justified” shooting of a mob hitman, Deputy US Marshall Raylan Givens is reassigned to Lexington, Kentucky, the area in which he grew up and hoped to have escaped.
Who’s in it? Timothy Olyphant, Joelle Carter and Jacob Pitts.
What season are we up to? Five.
Trophy cabinet? Seven Emmy nominations.
9. TRUE DETECTIVE
What’s it about? The story of two detectives pursuing a serial killer over a 17-year timeframe. It’s the sort of non-linear, thrilling stuff that HBO dreams are made of.
Who’s in it? Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Michelle Monaghan.
What season are we up to? One
Trophy cabinet? The show was nominated for Most Outstanding Drama Series at this year’s Emmys. McConaughey and Harrelson also picked up nominations for their performances.
What are you watching at the moment?
Top Comments
just found OITNB on Virgin new inflight entertainment - LOVE it!
Tried watching 1st episode of House of Cards but didnt like but my son tells me I need to persist!
Totally loved OITNB and can't wait for season 3