Now that we've entered the dog days of coronavirus quarantine and have likely run out of ways to entertain ourselves, perhaps it is time to turn backward, into our cultural zeitgeist, to retrieve and explore some of television's best and brightest achievements.
With many current series being shut down, productions halted due to the pandemic, and others running only six to 10 episodes per season, it's easy to run out of new things to watch. So why not reacquaint yourself with classics like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The O.C.? Also, it might be time to finally watch The Sopranos. We hear it's pretty great.
In the spirit of cherishing honoured works of television-based art, we've compiled a list of shows that deserve an honest rewatch — or first go around if you've slept on them all these years.
Nine TV Series That Deserve a Rewatch:
The O.C.
Created by Jason Schwartz
Teen soap The O.C. is one of the finest examples of the "new kid in school" microgenre (see also: Mean Girls, 10 Things I Hate About You). This sun-soaked tale of a smart but troubled kid getting adopted by his court-appointed lawyer is full of unrealistically beautiful people and all-too-realistic backstabbing, as we join the young Ryan Atwood in his crash course in the lifestyles of the fabulously rich. Okay, so Seth Cohen's self-pitying "why don't girls like me?" schtick hasn't held up all that well, but his taste in music is a perfect time capsule of the mid-'00s indie boom. Plus, he makes a much better couple with Anna than with Summer. There, I said it — come at me!
(Alex Hudson)
Where to watch: Google Play, YouTube
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Created by Larry David
As society currently rewrites itself, it needs Larry David now more than ever. Through his Curb Your Enthusiasm (not to mention Seinfeld), David has emerged as a true champion of societal norms — even those no one else but him even knew existed. From the "long goodbye" to the "sorry window" to the "non-recommend recommend," he's a true wizard of rules, making him the perfect poster boy for this era of societal reinvention. On top of that, David has some serious next-level hygiene techniques. In Curb's most recent season — the long-running show's 10th — he even invented a contactless urinal for his coffee shop. And if you need to go No. 2, too bad. Go do that dirty business somewhere else. In fact, David is so clean, he even recently did a coronavirus PSA for the state of California. So in efforts that we get this all right the second time around, it's in our best interest that we revisit all 10 seasons of Curb as we carve out this new normal.
(Brock Thiessen)
Where to watch: Crave
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Created by Joss Whedon
After 23 years, Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains one of the most important works of television to date. Running for 145 episodes between 1997 and 2003, the supernatural cult drama series about a teenage girl destined to slay vampires has one of the fiercest fandoms around — and for a good reason. All seven seasons of the series were placed firmly within the golden age of television, with the first six seasons touting 20-plus 45-minute episodes each. Aside from its spinoff series Angel, Buffy sparked waves of follow up material including its own comic book series. In 2016, musician Jenny Owen Youngs and queer activist Kristin Russo created a spoiler-free rewatch podcast titled Buffering the Vampire Slayer, following every episode of the series, offering a feminist analysis of the show from a modern perspective. The show's blend of horror, comedy and teen drama (plus even some musical elements) turns the monster-of-the-week trope into something meaningful for everyone, from comic con fanatics to academics alike. If you haven't watched the series yet, do it now.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Google Play, Youtube
Battlestar Galactica
Created by Ronald D. Moore
The 2004 reimagining of Glen A. Larson's 1978 series of the same name, Battlestar Galactica blends all the best elements of post-apocalyptic sci fi, military fiction, romance and political drama into one epic show. The series is set in a star system far away, inhabited by twelve colonies of humans who, historically, had gone to war with spooky androids called Cylons. After the Cylons return to wage war against the colonies, a ship is forced to outrun and battle the robots while the 50,000 remaining survivors of humanity attempt to find a new home. The saga is undeniably exhilarating, like watching Speed but in space and with hot, hot takes on religion and morality. It ran for four official seasons, followed by a prequel miniseries and two movies. The series has been consistently noted for its cultural influence, making The New York Times' "20 Best TV Dramas Since The Sopranos" last year.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Prime Video
Star Trek: Voyager
Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor
The fourth live-action series in the Star Trek franchise, Voyager steps away from the typical Trek premise, in that the crew of the USS Voyager aren't eager to explore space, or reach the final frontier — rather they aim to return home after becoming stranded in the Delta Quadrant, 70,000 light-years from home. Featuring Trek's first female captain, Kathryn Janeway (played by Kate Mulgrew), the gender-balanced show ran from 1995 to 2001 and saw Starfleet's Prime Directive broken time and time again. The show also broke the mold for a Trek series, with the crew merging Maquis and Federation groups in an act of radical survival, as well as later adopting their very own Borg crew member, Seven of Nine (played by Jeri Ryan). While it may not be the biggest or the best in the franchise, Voyager is surely the most punk Trek series to date in the way it dismantles systems — something we could benefit from observing in times like these.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Netflix
Gilmore Girls
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino
Yes, it's about to get unfathomably hot in our apartments but that makes it even better to pretend we're roaming through the perpetual fall foliage of Stars Hollow, our strange aqua-blue turtleneck sleeves pulled over our hands as we grasp a cup of Luke's with both palms, breathing in the crisp air. Gilmore Girls is pure escapism, a sweet land where everyone talks a mile a minute and makes references to literature, bad movies and deep-cut indie rock at every juncture. Plus, maybe if you strain hard enough, you can force Rory to stay with Jess the whole time.
(Josiah Hughes)
Where to watch: Netflix
Skins
Created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain
If you've missed partying with your chosen family since quarantine began, Skins will help you fill the social void in your life. Essentially a guide to England's 2010s youth scene, the series follows groups of teenagers based in Bristol as they embark on their college education, deal with their dysfunctional families, drink, do drugs, smoke "spliff," and hook up relentlessly. It has all the makings of the ideal young adult drama: edgy music, infidelity, crime, teen pregnancy and (spoiler) death. The show has six official seasons covering three generations of casts, plus a follow-up six-part seventh season titled Skins Redux that follows three of the show's most popular characters in their lives beyond "college." Moreover, Skins viewers get to watch the budding careers of many young actors including Nicholas Hoult, Daniel Kaluuya and Dev Patel, who appear in Seasons 1 and 2.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Netflix
Breaking Bad
Created by Vince Gilligan
A meek science teacher breaks bad after being diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer, leading him to enlist a former student to help him manufacture and sell meth to help support his family after he passes away. Sounds sad right? Without spoiling the juicier plot details, it's safe to say that things escalate from sad to edge-of-your-seat thrilling, darkly funny and outright badass pretty quickly. If you haven't watched the five-season-long crime drama yet, consider sinking your teeth into it now as the follow-up film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie has been streaming since last October and offers the perfect end to an incredible saga. Aaron Paul's spectacular acting as Jesse Pinkman is enough to sell this series on its own, but with Bryan Cranston starring as Walter White, father and secret criminal mastermind? Come on. Get in the RV.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Netflix
The Sopranos
Created by David Chase
We hear it's great.
Where to watch: Crave
With many current series being shut down, productions halted due to the pandemic, and others running only six to 10 episodes per season, it's easy to run out of new things to watch. So why not reacquaint yourself with classics like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The O.C.? Also, it might be time to finally watch The Sopranos. We hear it's pretty great.
In the spirit of cherishing honoured works of television-based art, we've compiled a list of shows that deserve an honest rewatch — or first go around if you've slept on them all these years.
Nine TV Series That Deserve a Rewatch:
The O.C.
Created by Jason Schwartz
Teen soap The O.C. is one of the finest examples of the "new kid in school" microgenre (see also: Mean Girls, 10 Things I Hate About You). This sun-soaked tale of a smart but troubled kid getting adopted by his court-appointed lawyer is full of unrealistically beautiful people and all-too-realistic backstabbing, as we join the young Ryan Atwood in his crash course in the lifestyles of the fabulously rich. Okay, so Seth Cohen's self-pitying "why don't girls like me?" schtick hasn't held up all that well, but his taste in music is a perfect time capsule of the mid-'00s indie boom. Plus, he makes a much better couple with Anna than with Summer. There, I said it — come at me!
(Alex Hudson)
Where to watch: Google Play, YouTube
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Created by Larry David
As society currently rewrites itself, it needs Larry David now more than ever. Through his Curb Your Enthusiasm (not to mention Seinfeld), David has emerged as a true champion of societal norms — even those no one else but him even knew existed. From the "long goodbye" to the "sorry window" to the "non-recommend recommend," he's a true wizard of rules, making him the perfect poster boy for this era of societal reinvention. On top of that, David has some serious next-level hygiene techniques. In Curb's most recent season — the long-running show's 10th — he even invented a contactless urinal for his coffee shop. And if you need to go No. 2, too bad. Go do that dirty business somewhere else. In fact, David is so clean, he even recently did a coronavirus PSA for the state of California. So in efforts that we get this all right the second time around, it's in our best interest that we revisit all 10 seasons of Curb as we carve out this new normal.
(Brock Thiessen)
Where to watch: Crave
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Created by Joss Whedon
After 23 years, Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains one of the most important works of television to date. Running for 145 episodes between 1997 and 2003, the supernatural cult drama series about a teenage girl destined to slay vampires has one of the fiercest fandoms around — and for a good reason. All seven seasons of the series were placed firmly within the golden age of television, with the first six seasons touting 20-plus 45-minute episodes each. Aside from its spinoff series Angel, Buffy sparked waves of follow up material including its own comic book series. In 2016, musician Jenny Owen Youngs and queer activist Kristin Russo created a spoiler-free rewatch podcast titled Buffering the Vampire Slayer, following every episode of the series, offering a feminist analysis of the show from a modern perspective. The show's blend of horror, comedy and teen drama (plus even some musical elements) turns the monster-of-the-week trope into something meaningful for everyone, from comic con fanatics to academics alike. If you haven't watched the series yet, do it now.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Google Play, Youtube
Battlestar Galactica
Created by Ronald D. Moore
The 2004 reimagining of Glen A. Larson's 1978 series of the same name, Battlestar Galactica blends all the best elements of post-apocalyptic sci fi, military fiction, romance and political drama into one epic show. The series is set in a star system far away, inhabited by twelve colonies of humans who, historically, had gone to war with spooky androids called Cylons. After the Cylons return to wage war against the colonies, a ship is forced to outrun and battle the robots while the 50,000 remaining survivors of humanity attempt to find a new home. The saga is undeniably exhilarating, like watching Speed but in space and with hot, hot takes on religion and morality. It ran for four official seasons, followed by a prequel miniseries and two movies. The series has been consistently noted for its cultural influence, making The New York Times' "20 Best TV Dramas Since The Sopranos" last year.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Prime Video
Star Trek: Voyager
Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor
The fourth live-action series in the Star Trek franchise, Voyager steps away from the typical Trek premise, in that the crew of the USS Voyager aren't eager to explore space, or reach the final frontier — rather they aim to return home after becoming stranded in the Delta Quadrant, 70,000 light-years from home. Featuring Trek's first female captain, Kathryn Janeway (played by Kate Mulgrew), the gender-balanced show ran from 1995 to 2001 and saw Starfleet's Prime Directive broken time and time again. The show also broke the mold for a Trek series, with the crew merging Maquis and Federation groups in an act of radical survival, as well as later adopting their very own Borg crew member, Seven of Nine (played by Jeri Ryan). While it may not be the biggest or the best in the franchise, Voyager is surely the most punk Trek series to date in the way it dismantles systems — something we could benefit from observing in times like these.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Netflix
Gilmore Girls
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino
Yes, it's about to get unfathomably hot in our apartments but that makes it even better to pretend we're roaming through the perpetual fall foliage of Stars Hollow, our strange aqua-blue turtleneck sleeves pulled over our hands as we grasp a cup of Luke's with both palms, breathing in the crisp air. Gilmore Girls is pure escapism, a sweet land where everyone talks a mile a minute and makes references to literature, bad movies and deep-cut indie rock at every juncture. Plus, maybe if you strain hard enough, you can force Rory to stay with Jess the whole time.
(Josiah Hughes)
Where to watch: Netflix
Skins
Created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain
If you've missed partying with your chosen family since quarantine began, Skins will help you fill the social void in your life. Essentially a guide to England's 2010s youth scene, the series follows groups of teenagers based in Bristol as they embark on their college education, deal with their dysfunctional families, drink, do drugs, smoke "spliff," and hook up relentlessly. It has all the makings of the ideal young adult drama: edgy music, infidelity, crime, teen pregnancy and (spoiler) death. The show has six official seasons covering three generations of casts, plus a follow-up six-part seventh season titled Skins Redux that follows three of the show's most popular characters in their lives beyond "college." Moreover, Skins viewers get to watch the budding careers of many young actors including Nicholas Hoult, Daniel Kaluuya and Dev Patel, who appear in Seasons 1 and 2.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Netflix
Breaking Bad
Created by Vince Gilligan
A meek science teacher breaks bad after being diagnosed with stage-three lung cancer, leading him to enlist a former student to help him manufacture and sell meth to help support his family after he passes away. Sounds sad right? Without spoiling the juicier plot details, it's safe to say that things escalate from sad to edge-of-your-seat thrilling, darkly funny and outright badass pretty quickly. If you haven't watched the five-season-long crime drama yet, consider sinking your teeth into it now as the follow-up film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie has been streaming since last October and offers the perfect end to an incredible saga. Aaron Paul's spectacular acting as Jesse Pinkman is enough to sell this series on its own, but with Bryan Cranston starring as Walter White, father and secret criminal mastermind? Come on. Get in the RV.
(Allie Gregory)
Where to watch: Netflix
The Sopranos
Created by David Chase
We hear it's great.
Where to watch: Crave