The question gets asked every year: what did I watch on TV this summer? Vanity fair had a great article: The 7 Best Summer TV Shows You’re Not Watching, which compiled 4 of my favorite shows this summer:
UnReal: This was my favorite discovery of the summer, and one that i have been recommending to all my friends since I watched the 4 free shows that they had on iTunes in June (btw. amazing marketing – i probably wouldn’t have been as hooked if I didn’t have the free episodes of early access in my apple tv to binge on and get hooked). The show is great, part soapy, part drama with lots of fabulously twisted and damaged characters that you just cant look away from. A gem you just have to watch!
Catastrophe: I actually decided to watch this after reading the article. I had ordered something from Amazon and took the one month Amazon Prime trial, and this was my first use of it. What a wonderful little gem of a show. My only complain is that 6 episodes is not enough. I watched the whole season on a Sunday night, and kept wanting more and more. The show is what happenes when someone gets pregnant after a transatlantic couple of night stands. The answer: great humor and emotional drama!
Food Network Star it was a favorite last year,and I’m still watching this year!
Poldark Disclaimer: it is not as good as Outlander. However, it is ALMOST as good, and that it fabulous enough (please see my outlander love rant below). I was about to quit in episode 3, and im glad I kept watching because now I’m hooked. It has business intrigue, soapy romance, historical settings and beautiful views. Aidan Turner shirtless every other episode is not a bad incentive either.
I started watching the other shows in the article but I wasn’t fully hooked. Although I think i need to give Mr. Robot another chance, the pilot was great I just wasn’t in the mood for it, but it looks like a great cyber thriller, and the performances were on point.. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel had a great premise but i got bored, its just to slow. Wayward Pines was just to weird for me.
My other favorite shows of the summer, that were either summer shows or ones that I binged on during the summer are:
Outlander – how had I not watched this. It’s the perfect mix of historical fiction, fantasy and romance that I like in my entertainment. The first episode is a bit slow, but stick with it and you will be rewarded with the other 7 episodes which are fabulous. I really could not stop watching. I watched the first 8 episodes and I cant wait for Sept 28th for the second half to come out on iTunes. It also does not hurt that Sam Heughan is smoldering hot! Disclaimer: do not watch on planes!
Mozart in the Jungle this was my second, very productive use of my Amazon Prime subscription. What a great show. It’s about a crazy genius latin american composer (The show is based on a book, and the character on Gustavo Dudamel) and its great. The 30 min episode are very easy to watch, and as a huge fan of the Arts in NY, I cant complain about the settings and the storylines.
the astronauts wife club I am a sucker for historical fiction, and this was right up my alley. Only contained to be 10 episodes, it shows the space program through the eyes of the wives of all the astronaunts. Its funny and camp, but educational as well, I think I learned more than I ever knew about the space program watching this show (I did a lot of wikipedia afterwards). Bonus points, the fashion is amazing!!
Billy & Billie A few months back I blogged about a great Neil LeBute play I saw in NY called The way we get by. This show is basically the exact same premise of the play, it just keeps going past the one day of the play. At first i was annoyed, why is it the same story? Then it hit me, it solved the main question I had after the play (which by the way I loved). What happened after that one night?
Younger I love Sutton Foster and I have been a fan of Hillary duff since Lizzie Mguire, so this was a great combination for me. The whole show works beautifully, and the premise of a 40 year old passing for a 25 year old might seem absurd, but it works beautifully once you watch the show.
The Descentants I am a sucker for made for TV movies and Disney makes some of my favorites. I was really looking forward to watching this movie, and it did not disappoint. The whole concept of having the kids of the characters we love, is brilliant! there is soooo much spinoff material from here
Old favorites from last year (and the one before) that still got summer rotation
- Finding Carter
- Masterchef
- ABC Family Shows:
- Fosters
- Chasing Life
- Pretty Little Liars
- Devious Maids
- Project Runway
- Cedar Cove
- When Calls the Heart
- Rizolli and Isles
- suits
- Mistresses
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