British TV Shows That Were Cancelled Before Their Time
We all love sitting down to watch a good bit of television but Leo thinks these shows left our screens...
TV Shows You Should Be Watching
source: kaldor.com
According to Yero, watching TV is not only good for the soul, it’s a necessity. Here are some shows you should be watching.
It’s summer but the weather apparently doesn’t know it. But this is okay because now we have excuses to stay in bed watching TV a lot of TV shows. If you’re like me, and ‘watching TV’ means tuning into your favourite shows when you have time and access to the internet, you might also be a binge-watcher.
With the amount of fantastic scripts and range of programming available, here are just a few of the TV shows that should be taking ownership of your down time:
‘Humans’
Currently on air (Channel 4)
In a parallel present where the latest must-have gadget for any busy family is a ‘Synth’ – a highly-developed robotic servant similar to a real human, it’s transforming the way we live.
source: liveforfilms.com
If you sorely miss ‘Utopia’ and ‘Black Mirror’ like I do, ‘Humans’ is definitely for you. It’s a stand out sci-fi drama that merges human interest with our love of consumerism in a highly technological world where having access to a robotic-slightly-human-housekeeper is not actually too far-fetched.
‘Orange Is The New Black’
Currently on air (Netflix)
The story of Piper Chapman, a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to fifteen months in prison after being convicted for a crime she committed a decade ago.
source: optigrab.org
‘OITNB’ is fast becoming a cult classic and has been dubbed ‘feminist TV’. It’s one of those shows where the supporting cast are way more interesting than the protagonist, and we care more about their journey than her’s. Nevertheless, it’s a hoot. The whole of Season 3 was released recently, you can stream all seasons now (remember to stop for breaks).
‘Empire’
Currently on air (Channel4/E4)
A music mogul father, is diagnosed with a terminal illness and has to choose one of his three sons to take over the :ahem: empire when he dies.
source: papermag.com
I tell everyone that ‘Empire’ is a guilty pleasure of mine. It’s amazing. Imagine the musical-drama outburst of ‘Glee’, and replace the cast with extremely wealthy Black people and OTT American soap-opera vibes like ‘Dallas’. It’s a Jacobean drama and should be added to the curriculum.
‘No Offence’
Currently on air (Channel 4)
‘No Offence’ follows a group of police officers on the front line wondering what they did to end up on the ugly side of Manchester.
source: primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk
‘No Offence’ is a funny crime procedural drama. It pokes fun at the genre, whilst still making a completely new strand of cop-comedy. If you’re into British drama and comedy, you’ll recognise some familiar talent.
‘Black Work’
Currently on air (ITV)
A policewoman sets out to discover who murdered her husband, an undercover police officer.
source: stuntfm.com
After ‘Black Work’’s first episode, Sheridan Smith is fast becoming one of my favourite actors. In the three-part mini-series, (filmed in Bristol) we get to see the journey of the devastated PC Jo Gillespie as she uses the help of her fellow colleagues to find her husbands killer. However it turns out that the ones helping her may know more then they’re letting on…*cue suspense music*.
‘Transparent’
Currently on air (Amazon Instant Prime)
An LA family with serious boundary issues have their past and future unravel when a dramatic admission causes everyone’s secrets to spill out.
source: deadline.com
When I was still in my binge-watching chairwoman position, I watched every thirty-minute episode of ‘Transparent’ in one sitting. It’s so good. We meet Maura, a transwoman trying to navigate her life after being a bored professor, whilst keeping who she really is a secret from her weird and wacky LA family.
‘Mozart in the Jungle’
Currently on air (Amazon Instant Prime)
Sex, drugs and classical music illustrate what happens behind the curtains at the symphony can be just as captivating as what occurs on stage.
source: trendfem.blogspot.co.uk
‘Mozart in the Jungle’ shows what it’s like to navigate New York as a young adult in a realistic and humorous way. I too have suffered some of the agony main character Hailey has endured, but I wasn’t playing an oboe on the stairs of a fire exit to soothe my sorrows. The show gives us a glimpse into the world of New York elitism and we can relate to having to work with people we don’t necessarily want to breathe the same air as.
‘The Crystal Maze’
Coming Soon
A team of six contestants enter the maze, where they take part in a series of tests and challenges across four themed zones in order to win time crystals.
source: theguardian.com
Move over Ant and Dec…’The Crystal Maze‘ is coming back. I wasn’t alive when it first came out, but I do remember watching re-runs in the early 2000s and being completely fascinated.
‘Where Am I Sleeping Tonight?’
Currently on BBC iPlayer
source: bbc.co.uk
You can’t miss this documentary by second-year film student, Martin Read. After finding himself homeless when he was 16 and battling life on the streets, Martin has made a documentary for the BBC, filmed on the streets of Bristol following the lives of young people who aren’t registered anywhere, living in caves and under bridges.
‘Sense8’
Currently on air (Netflix)
A group of people around the world are suddenly linked mentally, and must find a way to survive being hunted by those who see them as a threat to the world’s order.
source: netflix.com
From the makers of the ‘Matrix Trilogy’ comes ‘Sense8’. You’ll be drawn in by the mind-games, action and crazy settings. British actors Aml Ameen (‘Kidulthood’ and ‘Adulthood’) and Freema Agyeman (‘Doctor. Who’) star.
‘Silicon Valley’
Currently on air (Sky, Amazon Prime Instant)
In the high-tech gold rush of modern Silicon Valley, the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success.
source: popmatters.com
Comedy about tech-engineers in Silicon Valley, California (home to most tech places in the western world) and their awesome brain power, insecurities and journey though the tech world. It’s definitely worth a watch.
‘Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey’
Currently on air (National Geographic Channel, Sky, Fox UK)
A documentary series exploring the laws of nature and our coordinates in space and time.
source: maroonweekly.com
‘Cosmos’ is awesome. I’m not saying this because I have a crush on Neil deGrasse Tyson and I’ve been to one of his lectures where he had no shoes on. Animator and dad to ‘Family Guy’, Seth MacFarlane is the executive producer on the show – so if you’re into the universe, cool effects and fun facts – tune in.
‘My Mad Fat Diary’
Currently on air (E4/4oD)
Set in the 90s, the show tells the tragic and humorous story of a very troubled young Rae, who has just left a psychiatric hospital after attempting suicide and begins to reconnect with her group, who are unaware of Rae’s mental health and body image problems.
source: moviepilot.com
‘My Mad Fat Diary’ is the only coming-of-age TV show that I feel emulates the true meaning of being a teenager. I don’t know how many of us have/had crazy raves with face paint on a daily basis, but we do know what it might feel like to be Rae Earl. It’s riddled with nineties problems that we can only imagine we had to go through and is currently on Season three.
‘The Good Wife’
Currently on air (Channel 4/4oD)
Alicia has been a good wife to her husband, a former state’s attorney. After a humiliating scandal, he is behind bars. She must now provide for her family and returns to work as a lawyer.
source: cbs.com
‘The Good Wife’ is one of my favourite TV shows of all time. I think Alicia Florrick has been the best character to see grow onscreen. I love a good law drama, and this one is so fast paced and full of so much legal jargon but I understand every word of it. We get to see both Alicia’s home life and work life, and how they often impact each other negatively, but she still pulls through. It’s now on Season 6 so you have a lot of catching up to do if you’ve not seen it yet.
Obviously we don’t recommend locking yourself in your room and becoming ill from too much TV consumption, so remember to go outside and get some sunlight at some point.
Do you have TV shows you’re championing right now or think we’ve missed any crucial ones out? Let us know — @rifemag
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About the author
Yero Timi-Biu
Yero is a 22-year-old writer-director for TV and film and former (self-professed) serial intern. She took a detour through fashion when at aged 16, she took part in a documented internship with BBC Blast, where 10 teenagers had 6 months to create and showcase a fashion label. Subsequently, she then went on to study a Fashion Communication degree in London and graduated in 2013. Yero has recently returned to the UK after 3 months in New York, where she attended a Screenwriting workshop. With a keen interest in broadcast, Yero has always been interested in using writing, film and audio as a form of creating conversations, tackling the stigma of talking about social issues, as well as documenting and promoting underrepresented people in society. She is especially interested in raising awareness of mental health issues, long-term illnesses and encouraging well being, (especially within young people who may want to pursue a creative career).
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