After our post on 5 TV Shows to Binge Watch was published, some readers were a little upset (read: downright outraged!) that a certain show, their show, didn't make the cut. "How could you leave out American Horror Story?!" one friend exclaimed to me. Well, it was a really hard list to narrow down, particularly for someone who is usually attached to either her PVR or Netflix and would rather give up breathing than her subscription to HBO Canada, not to mention has a very spiritual relationship with most of the shows on television right now. But, since we aim to please, we've rounded up another five shows that you should most definitely binge watch this winter. And while we'll never get everyone's favourite show on a list, we can at least try to get some of the most popular ones.
American Horror Story
This show has rapidly acquired a cult following since its inception in 2011. The mini-series-based show just wrapped up its third season, each of which have all followed a different storyline and have involved different "horror" conventions, and have even been set in different eras. Great if you don't have a lot of time to commit to a new show or don't have the attention to sit through multiple seasons, you can watch each season on its own and still feel fulfilled (though we highly recommend doing so during the day, or at least with all the lights on). (Also, if you're a fan of this show and have a general liking towards AHS writers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, you should also check out Nip/Tuck.)
Homeland
Another political drama that has been making waves is Homeland. This show has Claire Danes in the lead role as bipolar CIA agent Carrie Mathison, marking her comeback into acting and also spurred a slew of former movie actors making their foray into TV shows (which prettu much used to be the cinematic equivalent of putting a dog out to the pasture). Circulating around the CIA's attempts to eliminate a number of terrorist leaders, it gets pretty gritty (though, truthfully, sometimes wildly unrealistic) and has its fair share of romantic drama. Plus, Danes' cry-face is pretty epic.
Downton Abbey
A British period piece set in the early 1900s and follows the wealthy aristocratic Crawley family and their staff. While not historically accurate, it does touch on a lot of the historical points of that era, while also dealing with a lot of social hierarchy issues that were fairly common in Britain. While each "series" still circulates around the same family, each season takes part during a different historial moment and how that affects the family and other characters introduced into the show. It gets pretty dramatic at times and you'll totally get lost in the fabulous accents and costumes.
Dexter
Okay, I'm sure you've heard absolutely terrible things about the final season of this show, and frankly, I don't blame whoever bashed this show to you. The fact is, the final season of this show sucked. BUT, the first seven seasons of this show were absolutely amazing, and really the writers should have quit while they were ahead. A blood spatter expert by day and vigilante killer by night, Dexter Morgan hunts and murders other murders, living by a "code" that was given to him as a kid. This show is complex and, though pretty violent, will make you wish for more people like him, even if he is psychopath. If you can maintain enough self-control to stop watching after the seventh season, I reccomend doing so—the series finale may just ruin the whole show for you and nobody wants that.
Mad Men
Another period piece, Mad Men is about the advertising men on Madison Avenue during the 1960s, which was the highlight of creative advertising and really changed advertising to what we know it as today. This show can be a little on the slow-moving side (and is super sexist, FYI), but it has the ability to be dramatic without a lot of action and really showcases how women were treated both at home and in the workforce during that time. While the majority of the creative genius in the show is men, you really get a chance to see how the workforce changed over the span of a decade. Plus, Jon Hamm is in it and I defy you to watch and not swoon like a schoolgirl.
