Buffy the Vampire Slayer

While you’ve likely heard of this show,  you probably haven’t watched it if you’re born after 1995. The series follows Buffy Summers, a high school student with the responsibility of – you guessed it – slaying vampires. Buffy and her group of friends struggle to balance typical high school endeavours with their supernatural responsibilities. It’s creepy, super corny, and incredibly addictive. Also, season three provides the surreal experience of seeing the actor that plays Mr. Mosby from the Suite Life of Zack and Cody make a guest appearance as a dart-smoking school psychiatrist.  

Seinfeld

In the age of mind-bending and dark humour shows, you should unwind with the quintessential sitcom, Seinfeld. You’ve unquestionably heard of this series, and have probably seen a handful of episodes. But did you know it was rated second on the list of Best Written TV Series of All Time by the Writers Guild of America? If you haven’t seen the show in its entirety, do yourself a favour and make it your show for the semester. The show, which arguably has no premise at all, looks at the lives of comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his friends in New York City. With its lighthearted humour, entertaining situations, and sympathetically flawed characters, Seinfeld is the feel-good series you should turn to this winter. 

Twin Peaks

Definitely the darkest recommendation on this list, Twin Peaks is an intelligent thriller that ran for three seasons in the early 1990s. The cult classic follows FBI Agent Dale Cooper as he attempts to solve the murder of high school student, Laura Palmer. It’s odd, romantic, blood-chilling, and absolutely worth a watch. 

Freaks and Geeks

If you haven’t re-watched this show in a while or have never seen it at all, do yourself a favour and watch it this month. The series only ran for one season, because it didn’t gain popularity until years after it was cancelled. You’ll recognize huge names such as James Franco, Jason Segel and Seth Rogen, alongside the familiar faces of Linda Cardellini, Busy Philipps and Martin Starr. Set in the 80s, the show follows the high school experience of two groups of misfits. This coming-of-age classic is comical and relatable as the cast faces the embarrassing and awkward challenges of high school.    

Will and Grace

This popular 90s series follows Will, a gay lawyer, and Grace, an interior designer. Grace moves in with Will in his New York home after her marriage goes sour, both testing and strengthening their friendship. The show aired in 1998 when LGBT representation was lacking in popular television. Since then, it has been credited with helping shift North America’s views of the gay community. While it may seem like an exaggeration that a sitcom could have this effect on the population, the way this series broke stereotypes and took a more in-depth look at the lives of the characters truly inspired more people to support the rights of the LGBT community (read: our in-depth analysis here)

Sex and the City

This absolute classic is about four women and their relationships and careers in New York City. One big reason you should watch this show is the open and honest representation of female sexuality. The fact that there are four leads in the series gives the writers the chance to portray the various nuanced sexual tendencies of women that most male-dominated shows lack. While Charlotte is the typical reserved and monogamy driven woman, Carrie portrays the open, casual dater. Miranda represents the woman who puts her career and familial obligations before romantic temptations while Samantha depicts a self-confident and successful woman with an adventurous sexual appetite. This friendship-based plot gives Sex and the City more depth than other shows which depict women as damsels-in-distress.

Featured photo from https://opengeekhouse.com.br/2019/03/05/20-fotos-raras-de-promocao-freaks-and-geeks/