Not every twenty-something single lady falls asleep to the sounds of 30 Rock reruns after a glass or six of wine—some people are legitimately watching television these days. Unfortunately, committing to critically acclaimed shows requires a lot of energy and commitment—commitment to not look at Instagram for at least 44 minutes. Here are some shows that everyone seems to be enjoying, but you probably won’t get around to because it’s just a lot to add to your plate right now:
The Leftovers (HBO)
Jennifer Aniston’s husband has a lot of tattoos all over his body, and he’s also the most famous person on the show. Some weird shit seems to be happening that most fans have theories about, but if they’re not getting it after following each episode closely, you probably won’t be able to get into it after wandering away to microwave a pizza ten minutes in.
The Wire (HBO)
A really hot British guy does an apparently spot-on Baltimore accent while discovering the city’s criminal underbelly. Idris Elba is in it, too, but like, not as we know him from GQ covers in well-fitted suits, so is it really worth slogging through a bunch of drama and violence for just to see those weird early-2000s pants? Your US Weekly just arrived, maybe just stick to that for tonight. That feels manageable.
Broad City (Comedy Central)
Okay, this is just a fun female-centered comedy that you don’t have to watch in any particular order. Just give it a try. They smoke pot like you do. Is it that hard to—oh, okay, you just fell asleep again.
Mad Men (AMC)
Wait, you didn’t watch Mad Men when it was still on TV? This was the best show on television and a part of us dies every time someone tells us they never watched it. Seriously, why haven’t you gotten on board with this? You can watch it while you paint your toenails.
In this golden age of television, there are a lot of great shows out there but in order to appreciate them you may need to get on some type of medication.
