Ten TV Shows to Binge-Watch this Summer - Part 4

While in prison we meet a huge amount of women from a whole range of backgrounds, who are all in prison for a wide number of reasons. Jenji Kohan uses the traditionally attractive, but highly competent, Taylor Schilling as a way for the audience to be drawn into the stories of women of colour, who usually only ever play narrow roles, filled with stereotypes. Kohan is allowed to humanise them all, allowing us to discuss race relations, class warfare, sexuality, gender binary, religion, and the nature of privilege. 

The show is utterly fantastic and definitely worth watching. I have yet to see the second season but from all reports it a fantastic continuation of a ground-breaking series.

Dale Cooper has penchant for coffee, always trying to find the place that serves the greatest brew, a quirk for recording his thoughts on a dictaphone , even if they are utterly inane, and a curiosity for the supernatural. 

His quest for the truth takes him to many weird and wonderful people places, through many pieces of pie, and even to an encounter with a cross-dressing agent Dennis Byron, played marvelously by David Duchovny. The show is masterfully crafted, following the now famed double payoff, with the original puzzle wrapping up to unveil a deeper and more intriguing story.

Twin Peaks first aired in 1990, but has aged exceptionally well. At the time it was relatively ground-breaking, so many of the tricks, techniques, and tropes it employs are now common practise, which at the time were new and unheard of, but the story is still fantastic and will keep you guessing the entire time.

If you are a media nerd like myself you will take great joy in seeing the long lasting influence this show has had on modern TV, one such was highlighted in Part 3 when I discussed American Horror Story, but the reach goes far further. It's a fantastic opportunity to see many famous faces before they became household names.

The early seasons followed the lives of Sam and Dean Winchester as they carry on the family business of hunting down supernatural creatures and preventing them for causing any more harm. Following the training of their father they travel the country rescuing people from that which they refuse to believe in. As the show developed we were introduced to a darker understory involving demons and their rulers.

The yellow-eyed demon stalks the brothers until the fate of humanity depends on them conquering the aforementioned beast. This brings them into contact with gods, urban legends, ghosts, and all manner of beast fair and foul. 

The show hits new heights when we are introduced to monsters of a truly biblical proportion, and a war that threatens all sides with ultimate destruction.

One of the main protagonists is on a break from his girlfriend due to a disagreement over living with one another, yet they are amicable and friendly when they meet each other. In shows like Friends, like most Sitcoms, the comedy and laughs comes from characters having not communicated clearly so everyone gets on top of one another, or misses what is going on. With Sirens the characters communicate with each other, most of the time.

Outside stroking the ego of everyone who ever studied English Literature, it also takes us on a tale of a conflicted father gripped with remorse, his young female assistant who has a natural ability for clairvoyance. This duo are joined by a gunslinging Yank and a genius young medical researcher.

All four work together to hunt down a pack of vampires, that are foul and wicked beasts, rather than the sparkling, chiselled teens modern media believes them to be. Alongside this major story each battles with their own personal demons (some more literally than others), providing us with a grand and weaving narrative through an alternative Victorian London.

But Gravity Falls is filled with all sorts of real supernatural creatures and events, which Dipper and Mabel attack with all the gusto that can be expected of 12 year olds. They fight gnomes, trolls, the leftover candy from Halloween, as well as time travelling agents. All of this is tied together by utterly charming animation and characters. The supporting cast are engaging and reflective of parts of society, the star among them being Mr Waddles, Mabel's pet pig.

The show is fantastically clever, and fantastically quick. It tackles all the dark and boring sides of television in a quick and insightful manner. The show reeks of experience of this side of the business, as all the years that Fey, and the others on writing team, spent working and acting on SNL become apparent.

The show also takes a chance to discuss the changing role of women in the business, and also the ability to discuss racism in the industry.

Various characters are introduced as the show progresses that allow different arcs and narratives to be explored. We have the stiff upper lip Brit, Pryce, who is more focused on ensuring a healthy bottom line than allowing Draper to have a nap in his office to nurse his hangover.

The major star next to Don Draper is the secretary-turned-creative Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) who climbs the ladder of power and importance as she repeatedly shows why she deserves to be there, as well as the importance of having women in the company at all.

Community is based in Greendale Community College which in the Dean's own words is described as 'You've heard it's 'loser college' for remedial teens, twenty-something drop-outs, middle-aged divorcees, and old peoplekeeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. That's what you heard, however... I wish you luck!' For our view we initially follow Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), a highly successful, if slightly sociopathic, lawyer who cheated on his bar test years ago and has been exposed, requiring him to go back to college.

Soon 'The Gang' is formed and we follow them through their years at the school. A fan favourite among the group very rapidly emerged in the form of Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi).

We are taken through the awkward protective relationship Norma and Norman have for one another. When Norman becomes interested in a girl Norma becomes worried for him and any possible hurt this girl may cause. In the same way Norman does like leaving his mother alone incase she becomes the victim of any sort of violent assault.

The backstory of Norman Bates is slowly explored and unraveled. The show does a fantastic job of humanising him, and giving him depth, even despite our pre-existing of the outcome to all of this. Highmore does a fantastic of making us highly sympathetic for a character that we know turns into killer, even though none of that is revealed to us through the show itself. The show is fantastic at rewarding movie fans, while allowing those who only know the TV show to have an enjoyable experience too.